All the World's a Stage
by Chris4
Summary: **FINALE** at long last! ANGST! UST! M/L Shippiness! Logan is invited to be the Artistic Advisor on a play based on a book he wrote about the possible escape of some unknown genetically-enhanced soldiers. Please R/R!
1. Invitation

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Disclaimer:**As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't.Max, Logan and the crew belong to Fox and James Cameron, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah.You know the scoop.The other characters in this story belong to me, although if anyone at Fox wishes to buy or lease them, I'm willing to talk.;-)

**Date: **06/15/01

**Author: **Chris****

**Email:** cjudkins@smith-gardner.com

**Summary:**Logan is invited to be an artistic advisor for a play that is based on a short story he wrote long before he met Max.He and Max go to Vancouver for what is intended to be a relaxing vacation.This story takes place between 'Rising' and "Kidz".

** **

**Author's Note**: Yes, I know Logan's back in the wheelchair and is only walking because of Phil's exoskeleton, but I started this story based on the "Rising" teaser.The fact that it's taken me this long to finish this is my own fault.Additionally, I'm too lazy to go back and try to fix it so that Logan is wheelchair bound again.Be that as it may, everyone who reads this is going to have to set the way back machine (or the rerun machine) to when Logan was managing to get around solely due to Max's blood.This story is pure fluff, intended for the gratification of M/L shippers everywhere.Enjoy.

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Chapter 1 - Invitation

Just as she had countless times before, Max silently picked the lock to Logan's penthouse apartment and let herself in.Everything was shrouded in inky blackness, except for a faint glow of light coming from the room he used as his office.She paused for a moment to let her eyes compensate for the darkness and to listen for any tell-tale sounds that would indicate that Logan was still awake and not actually asleep at his desk.From her position in the hall, she could hear the soft murmur of his voice, the lilting strains of some obscure piece of classical music and the tap-tap-tap of keyboard keys.Max frowned slightly as she started to navigate her way deeper into the dark apartment. _What could be so important that he's on the phone this late at night?_She shook her head in bemusement at his persistent I-can-make-the-world-a-better-place attitude._You've said it yourself, Logan.The world is still going to be broken tomorrow.Society isn't going to collapse just because Eyes Only went to bed at a decent hour.But then again, if Logan wasn't Logan, he wouldn't be awake for my late night visits, either.Ah, Logan, Logan," _she asked herself_, What am I going to do with you?_A wicked grin crossed her face as her thoughts took an immediate nose-dive into the gutter.Several tantalizing ideas flitted through her mind about just what she _could_ do with Logan.And a bottle of champagne.And some strawberries.

Still grinning to herself like a cat with cream, she peeked around the door frame of his office.The gentle glow of the desk light barely illuminated the room.He wasn't aware of her presence yet, so Max took full advantage of the chance to watch him, unobserved. He was sprawled out in his chair, fingers absently tapping on the keyboard in time to the music that drifted on the air.He was nodding in response to something that the person on the other end of the video call had said.Silently, she studied Logan's profile._God, what is it about him that makes me want him so much?_ she wondered.She treasured these moments more than she was willing to admit to anyone, especially herself.These were the moments in which she could let her gaze drift along his wonderful body, imagining the feel of it beneath her hands or pressed against her own body in passion; the moments in which she could lose herself in the sound of his voice, pretending that he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear.Max smiled slightly to herself, lost in her own fantasies, when Logan cleared his throat.

With a start, Max immediately came back down to earth, realizing that Logan had finished his call and had been staring at her for several minutes.Several _long_ minutes."Knock, knock," he said, a slight smile playing at his lips.

Max blushed."That's my line."Logan only response was to raise a single eyebrow at her, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement."You know," she continued, "you really need to get a better lock on your door.Otherwise, you're going to have strangers just walking in off of the street."

"The only one that really matters was the one who dropped in from my skylight," he smiled. "Plus, changing the lock would mean that the keys I had made for you would be useless."He retrieved a small ring of keys out of his desk and tossed them at her before she had a chance to analyze his previous statement.

Max snagged them out of the air."Keys?For me?"She twirled them around her fingers and affected a moue."Awww, Logan, you shouldn't have."

He grinned at her and sat back in his chair."Just my way of letting you know that my door is always open."

She snorted and pocketed the keys."With the lock you have, it might as well be."

Logan chuckled."So tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?It's eleven o'clock at night.Too late to eat and I don't have any jobs lined up for you…."He looked at her, expectantly.

"I don't know."Max shrugged."I just …. thought I'd drop by.See if you were awake and maybe try to interest you in a game or two of chess.Unless…," she paused melodramatically, affecting an air of extreme boredom, "the rich playboy Logan Cale has other plans for the rest of the night…?"

"Hmmmm…Let's see."He steepled his fingers and rocked back in his chair, pretending to contemplate some internal time schedule."I've already cancelled the pajama party with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and the polo game has been rescheduled due to rain, so … no."He flashed his brilliant smile at her."I think the rich playboy Logan Cale is all yours for the rest of the night."

Max fought to hide her grin as Logan realized what he'd just said."Ohhhh, really?"The grin escaped her control completely when he blushed._God, he's even more adorable when he's embarrassed_.She let her gaze slide slowly down his body then back up to meet his eyes.

Logan took a deep breath in an attempt to control the flush of heat that suddenly raged through his blood.However casual it may have sounded, the sultry glance that accompanied Max's loaded question trailed along his body like a physical caress.He had gotten used to the verbal banter that they tossed about, both of them using it to mask feelings that they were still unwilling to admit, but now she had just upped the ante._Take it slow, Cale_, he thought to himself._Find out where she wants to go with this before you jump to any conclusions.Or before you jump her, for that matter_.Slowly, carefully, Logan got up out of the chair.His legs were still a little shaky, and he needed a cane to get around, but he was walking and that was what was important.As he stood, he positioned himself so that he could sit back down on the corner of his desk.Just as slowly, he smiled."I was going to say that I needed to rephrase my last statement, but I think I'll let it stand."His voice was slightly husky as he regarded her, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Max gazed into the eyes that were now level with her own._I keep forgetting how tall he is_, she thought absently.There was still a space of about five feet between them.All she had to do was to close the distance and she could be in his arms._But is that what you want?_ the little voice inside her head asked.

_Oh, yeah,_ she replied_._

_Is that what he wants?_ the voice persisted.

_I think so._

_You can't afford to love him_, the nagging voice continued, _It'll probably get both of you killed._

_But is life worth living without having loved?_ she silently asked.

_Is love worth dying for?_ it responded.

Max shut her eyes and took a deep breath.She opened them to find that Logan hadn't moved.His gaze was filled with compassion (_and love?)_ as he silently watched her internal struggle._Ok, now what?_ she wondered._He's called your bluff.Keep it light, girl.No need to let him know that he can make your palms sweat with just a smile._

Nonchalantly, Max strolled towards him.Without meeting his eyes, she casually brushed imaginary dust off of his forearm."All mine for the rest of the night," she repeated."I don't know.I may not be able to think of anything to do with the rich playboy Logan Cale." _Do with Logan, to Logan, for Logan, on… Ok, stop it, Max_, she mentally slapped herself._God, that was about as light as a ton of bricks_.Suddenly embarrassed by her own thoughts, Max dropped her eyes to stare at the equipment scattered on the desk behind him.

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but apparently reconsidered at the last moment, because nothing came out.A hundred retorts ran through his mind, none of which were acceptable in polite company.Max was so close he could smell the shampoo that she used, and her proximity was quickly overriding his determination to let her set the pace._Not that she's going slow, considering that last remark_, his libido chimed in.Logan shifted uncomfortably, all too aware of a growing tightness in his groin.He desperately hoped that Max wouldn't notice, but she seemed intent on memorizing the layout of his desk, refusing to meet his eyes.Without conscious thought, Logan brought one hand up underneath her chin.His fingers caressed her cheek in a delicate touch.Startled, Max looked up into his searching gaze."I think you underestimate yourself," Logan whispered softly.His fingers played along her jaw as he stroked her face.

Unable to tear her gaze away, Max felt her breath catch in her throat._Ohmygod, he's going to kiss me_.Her thoughts raced around themselves as she stared up into Logan's face._What is he waiting for?_

_All I have to do is move away._

_Why is he just standing there?_

_Get out, Max, get out!_

_Kiss me, Logan, please!_

__Inadvertently, she glanced at Logan's lips, then quickly back up to his eyes.It seemed that her glance was the answer to a question she hadn't even known had been asked, because he started to slowly bend his head closer to hers.His hand slipped behind her neck, his fingers gently tangling in her hair, as his lips continued their inexorable journey.Excited, resigned, scared and eager all at the same time, Max closed her eyes and sighed softly.Their lips had barely touched when the front door slammed open, making them both jump.

Immediately, Max melted into the room's shadows, her eyes dilating as she scanned the darkness.Just as quickly, Logan pulled a sidearm from his desk drawer and stepped back against the wall.He felt, more than saw, Max move towards the front of the penthouse, a silent and deadly force that was more than able to deal with this unknown intruder.As she slipped through the inky blackness of the apartment, her enhanced vision allowed her to effortlessly locate and follow the stranger who moved rapidly towards the only source of light in the apartment.

Unaware of the danger he was already in, a tall man strode confidently into the room."Cale!Logan Cale!Where the hell are you?" the man shouted as he tried to pierce the darkness of the dimly illuminated room.

"Davis?"Logan slowly stepped out of the shadows, the gun easily masked against his leg.

The man turned towards the sound of Logan's voice and grinned.He was about the same height and build as Logan and, Max guessed, about the same age.In fact, the only major difference between the two men was that the stranger's hair was dark, his beard was neatly trimmed, and he didn't wear glasses.Other than that, he could almost pass for Logan's twin.

"Damn straight it's me," the man Logan called 'Davis' said."How the hell are you, buddy?I've been hearing stories about you all the way down in Hollywood, and since they weren't all good, I decided that I had to check things out for myself.Sorry it's so late, but when I drove by, I took the chance that you'd still be awake.You always were a night owl.Why's it so dark in here?You're looking great, by the way, so I guess I can write half of those stories off as pure bullshit."The man's quick eyes noted the gun held casually at Logan's side."I could be wrong, though, considering the way I nearly got myself shot just now.I guess some of those stories must be true, if you're so quick on the draw like that."

Logan relaxed and smiled at the man."It's all good."

"What?" Davis asked, confused by Logan's cryptic remark.

"All the time," Max's voice floated out of nowhere.

"Holy Shit!" Davis yelped as Max suddenly appeared at his elbow and just as quickly slipped back into the darkness.He peered into the room's shadowy recesses, trying to track her movements.Sighing in frustration, Davis turned back to Logan, only to find the apparent owner of the mysterious voice standing defensively between him and his friend._Very_ defensively.

"Damn.Where do you find these bodyguards, Cale?Just tell me to bend over and cough the next time, will you?"Max smiled slightly at the backwards compliment, but didn't relax her stance.Davis shook his head in wonder as he regarded the slight figure she presented, somehow instinctively knowing that he didn't want to be on her bad side."I guess I should know better by now, just bursting in on you like this, but …"

"But you'll never change," Logan finished with a smile.He clicked the safety back on the .45, returned it to it's holster in the desk drawer, then placed one hand on Max's shoulder.Unconsciously, she leaned back into Logan, her posture no longer one of defense, but still coiled and ready to spring at a moment's notice.Davis noted the interaction between the pair with veiled amusement._'Bout time Cale finally got over Valerie.This one is obviously more to him than just a hired bodyguard._He shook himself out of his reverie as Logan began the introductions.

"Max, this is Rich Davis, Davis, this is Max."

"Very pleased to meet you, Max….?" Davis arched his eyebrows at her.

"Guevara," she smiled."Nice to meet you, too."

"Davis and I went to Yale together," Logan said by way of explanation."He was all set out to be one of the best journalists I've ever known when he was bitten by the Hollywood bug." 

"Biggest bite you've ever seen, too," Davis agreed.He turned to Max and grinned at her. "Took a whole hunk right outta my ass.Want to see the scar?" He grabbed at his pants and started to drop them as Max frantically shook her head.

"Uh, no, that's all right.I believe you."

Logan snorted."I don't recall you offering to drop your pants in front of strangers quite so readily all those years ago, Davis."

"Naw, that was always your trick.And only in front of beautiful women strangers," Davis grinned as a slow flush crept into Logan's cheeks.

"That was Gideon, not me."

"Sure it was.Don't you remember that trip to Mardi gras?We were down in the French Quarter, three sheets to the wind and you were bare-ass-"

"Yeah, right, never mind," Logan firmly cut his friend off mid-sentence.

Davis chuckled at Logan's reluctance to bring old skeletons out of the closet.He glanced over at Max and noted her look of feigned indifference, although it was obvious that she was more than interested in hearing the rest of _that_ story. "Listen," he said to her, ignoring his friend's discomfiture, "I'm truly sorry if I interrupted anything.I didn't expect Cale to have any company.He's always been a somber guy, but for the last few years, he's been downright dreary.Maybe I can bring a little adventure back into his life, huh?"

Max laughed as Logan rolled his eyes."Oh, yeah, I think he's in definite need of some adventure."

Davis grinned at Logan."I like this one, Cale.She's a keeper."

"Glad you approve," Logan replied dryly.He caught Max's eye and winked at her just as Davis' chatter started up again.

"Well, I'm sure you're wondering my other reason for dropping in, Cale, and the truth be told, I think I could use your help.I'm producing a play, based on a short story you wrote years ago, and I need you as an artistic advisor on the set.My director is giving me fits, and I figured if I could drag the author of the original book in for some background, he'll cut with the static."Davis sighed and ran his hand through his short, dark hair."We're staging the thing up in Vancouver, so it's not like it's a major hike or anything, but I'd be eternally grateful if I had you around to put the kibosh on some of his wilder ideas," Davis finished._C'mon, Cale, don't make me beg for your help in front of your beautiful lady, _he thought desperately.

Logan looked confused."Which book?I don't remember giving permission to have anything turned into a play."

"It's the one you wrote as Cale Anson and Gideon edited as Matthew.The one about the secret military operation to create genetic soldiers.'The Phoenix Ash',remember?Gideon actually converted it to a play, but you gave your ok on it way back when… must have been at least two, three years ago."

Max stood back from Logan and looked at him in amazement."A book??About genetically enhanced soldiers?!?"

"It was a long time ago. Right after the Pulse.It was based on a rumor that I stumbled across that perked my interest."Logan turned back to Davis."Why can't Gideon be your advisor?"

"Gideon's still off somewhere in Europe.Couldn't get 'hold of him.You were the next logical choice."Davis shrugged.

"Wait a minute.How did you manage to track the book back to me?I made sure that the bio didn't directly reference either Gideon or myself."

Davis snorted."C'mon, Cale.I've known you long enough to know that your mother's maiden name was Anson and Gideon used his middle name.I'm not an idiot, no matter what my wife says.It wasn't that difficult to figure out."

Logan took a deep breath and looked over at Max.He could tell by her expression that she wasn't happy with the thought of a book floating around about her life, however little Logan may have had to go on at the time.She looked back at him, eyes flashing angrily.

Davis looked back and forth between the couple, sure that there was volumes being spoken in the looks they shared, but not at all sure what any of it meant."I'll tell you what," he interrupted their silent conversation, "It's late and I'm intruding.Let's get together tomorrow morning and talk about it over coffee.I'll come back over about ten or so and give you all the details, then you can decide when you'll come out to Vancouver." Davis smiled.

Logan's laugh was slightly strained."I haven't said that I'll be able to help you, Davis."

"No, but you haven't said 'No', either," Davis responded."Tomorrow.Actually, today.Ten o'clock.I'll see you then."Davis saluted Logan, then spun on his heel and faced Max.With a very courtly bow that hadn't been in vogue since the sixteenth century, Davis swept Max's hand into his own and placed a kiss on the back of it."Very nice to meet you, Max.I hope I'll have the pleasure of seeing you again soon."Before Max could stammer out a startled reply, Davis was out the door as quickly as he had arrived.

Both Max and Logan stood in silence for a long minute.

"Wow."

"You don't know the half of it," Logan replied.

"You want to fill me in?"Her voice was dangerously low as she turned to face him.She crossed her arms underneath her breasts, looking like she was prepared to read him the riot act at any moment.

Logan sighed and ran one hand through his short hair, making it spike up more than usual."Like I said, it was just after the Pulse.I had come across a piece of data that referenced some of the genetic testing that had been done at Manticore, although I didn't know that it was called Manticore at the time, and the fact that there had supposedly been an escape."He sank back against the desk, his gaze focused on the past."The whole idea was very intriguing and very disturbing.I was writing short stories at the time and jotted my thoughts down about what I thought could happen if such rumors were actually true, and how the people involved would deal with the consequences of their actions.I didn't have much to go on, so the story was a complete fiction."

"Gideon is my brother." Logan smiled to himself."He's… a character.I'm sure you'll meet him someday.Anyway, Gideon and I met Davis when we were both at Yale and kept in contact after graduation.One day, Gideon saw the story and he talked me into submitting it for publication.It didn't do exceptionally well, but it was fun.I didn't think anything of it until a few years ago, when Gideon contacted me for permission to convert the thing into a play."Logan leaned back and looked over at Max, waiting for the explosion he was sure was to come.

"A play," she repeated.Absently, she drummed an irritated tattoo against the desktop, a sure sign of her anger."Somehow, I find it very hard to imagine my life staged in two acts with a short intermission," the words snapped out as she glared at him."What's next, Logan, 'Manticore, the Musical?'"

Try as he may, Logan couldn't keep his lips from twitching in amusement at Max's last statement.Max watched him for a moment, trying, and failing, to maintain her anger as the humor of her own words penetrated her irritation.Her lips quirked in response as she tried to contain her laughter, but the sight of Logan slowly losing his stoic demeanor pushed her over the edge.As she looked up into his twinkling eyes, they both started to chuckle.After a long moment, Max moved over to lean up against the desk across from him and sighed."So, tell me, what kind of action-packed adventure is this book, anyway?"

Logan looked away from her as he cleaned his glasses on his shirt.He felt a faint flush creep up into his face that had nothing to do with their shared amusement."Ah, well, actually…. it's more of a … a love story."

A slow grin spread over Max's face as she looked at Logan in total amazement."You're kidding me, right?"Logan shook his head, still refusing to meet her eyes."A love story?"

The highly amused tone of her voice stung Logan's pride."Yes, a love story," he repeated."The Manticore part of it was just the background.The entire book was about the people involved and how they dealt with a bad situation."He glared back at her, his glasses still in his hands.

"You have the bad situation part of it right, that's for sure."She grinned into his strikingly blue eyes, refusing to allow him to nurse his bruised ego."Imagine that.A love story."She reached out and plucked his glasses from his hands, then stepped close to him.Carefully, she slid the glasses on to his face, letting her fingers slide slowly down his ears and along his jaw."Does it have a happy ending at least?"

His caught her hands in his own and squeezed them gently."Don't all good love stories have happy endings?" His voice was husky as he gazed deeply into her dark eyes.

"I'd like to think so," she whispered.

"This one does."Logan smiled.

"Good."

They smiled at each other in companionable silence.With a final squeeze of her hands, Logan reluctantly let her go."So," he said into the stillness, "you want to go up to Vancouver with me and see a play?"

Max laughed softly."It's a date."

** **

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	2. Journey

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

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Chapter 2 - Journey

Logan stirred some cream into his coffee as he regarded the man who sat across from him.Davis hadn't changed much at all, as far as Logan could tell.He was still eagerly pursuing his Hollywood dream, and by the number of films, shows and plays he had under his belt, his dream had become a reality.He hadn't changed very much physically, either, except for a few stands of premature gray hair at his temples._And for the prodigious amounts of coffee he's now able to drink_, Logan silently amended as Davis poured himself another cup.

"Fantastic stuff, Cale, you're going to have to tell me where you managed to score this."Davis took a large, appreciative swallow of the steaming black liquid.

"Black market," Logan replied smoothly.

Davis choked."Are you kidding me?Mr. Boy Scout himself, Logan Cale, involved in black marketeering?Good Lord, the times have certainly changed, haven't they?" he shook his head in amazement."Well, the least I can do is threaten to expose you to the proper authorities, not that there are many left these days."

Logan's eyes danced in humor."Blackmail and extortion?"

"Self-defense," Davis replied dryly."You've never had to drink the coffee down in Hollywood."

"Done."Logan chuckled."Speaking of Hollywood, how're Kelli and the kids?"

"Kelli is perfect, as ever, and is still trying to figure out how I managed to talk her into marrying me.Meghan is five now and Ryan will be all of three years old next month.The pair of them are miniature terrors.I kept telling Kel that we should've just gotten a dog.At least it's legal to put a dog in a kennel for a week and go on vacation, but noooo, she had to go and procreate."Davis rolled his eyes and took another swig of coffee."Damn, I miss them."

"Glad to hear that they're all doing ok."Logan took a sip of his coffee and smiled."So tell me, how did you manage to be the producer of a play based on my story?"

"I guess I just pissed somebody off," Davis shrugged as Logan laughed."Seriously, Gideon sent me the play about half a year ago, then promptly lost himself in Europe.My assistant accidentally sent it to one of the directors I was working with at the time, along with a whole score of other plays, and it was just luck of the draw that your story was the one he decided he wanted to do.I hadn't even read the damn thing, and here this director is, tossing ideas for staging and casting at me like I knew what the hell he was actually talking about."Davis briefly rubbed his temples and sighed."I read the play, then picked up a copy of the book and read that.The director is nuts.It's supposed to be a dramatic love story, and he's turning it into a slapstick.I need you, Cale.One of the quirks this director has is a tendency to kiss major ass and to hold book authors in high esteem.Ok, so that's two tendencies, but if I bring in the author of the original story, I'll get two for the price of one.Besides,you look like you could use a vacation."

Logan sighed deeply, absently tracing one finger along the grain of the table._He's right, I do need a vacation_, he thought to himself._But Vancouver in March isn't really my first choice of vacation spots.Still, curled up on a couch with Max in front of a roaring fire doesn't sound bad at all.Hell, I've got the couch and fireplace here, but I sincerely doubt that I could get Max to sit still long enough to curl up in front of it with me. Maybe getting us out of Seattle for a while has some possibilities after all._Logan looked up from his musings and regarded his friend with a steady stare."Ok, I'll do it."He held up a hand to forestall Davis' shout of triumph."On a few conditions.One, I don't go up there as Logan Cale, I go up there as Cale Anson.Two, Max comes with me."

Davis grinned."Not a problem, on either count.I figured that you'd want your lady up there with you.The nights get colder in Vancouver than they do here, you know."He wagged his eyebrows at Logan suggestively.

For a moment, Logan seriously wondered if Davis had somehow tapped into his thoughts.Dismissing the notion as absurd, Logan shook his head and spouted off his well-used denial."It's not like that.We don't have that kind of a relationship."

Davis snorted."Why the hell not?You two looked pretty into each other last night."

"It's…. complicated."

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

"You heard me.Do. You. Love. Her. I'm not speaking Swahili, am I?I certainly hope not, because I never learned it."Logan stared down into his coffee and didn't reply."Logan.Logan!"Davis reached across the table and smacked Logan upside the head.

"What was that for?"

"Cause you're an idiot, that's why."Davis sighed heavily and changed the subject."Ok, drop that.So when can I expect Cale Anson and Max to arrive in Vancouver?"

"Nicole."

"What?"

"Nicole, not Max."

"Did I hit you too hard in the head?" Davis asked.

"No, you didn't hit me too hard in the head," Logan mimicked."Max will go up as Nicole, my assistant."

"Nicole Anson?" Davis smirked.

"Nicole Williams," Logan shot back."How long will you need us ..uh, me up there?"

"Just until opening night in a couple of weeks."

"Can the production company afford two rooms for two weeks?" Logan asked.

Knowing perfectly well that the production company could afford an entire hotel of rooms for a month, Davis shook his head in negation."Mmmmm… they're more likely to go for one of the little multi-room cabins located near the site.That way you can meet with the rest of the crew as needed," came the reply."You and Max, excuse me, Nicole, will have to share."He managed to keep the amusement out of his face, his expression completely neutral, as he waited for Logan's response.

Logan's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he nodded his acceptance."Ok, we'll be there."

*******

"Two weeks?Logan, I can't get away for two weeks."Max paced back and forth across the floor of Logan's living room."Normal has a fit when I'm gone for a single day, how in the world am I going to get him to let me go for two weeks?"

Logan sighed in frustration."How long do you think you would be able to get away?"

"A week, at the most.Normal was so thankful that we saved him from defenestration that he graciously gave us each a week of vacation.Not paid, of course, but he did say that he wouldn't fire us.In his eyes, I guess that's payment enough."Max collapsed on the couch and looked back up at Logan.

"I guess a week will have to do," he replied."I'll fly up on Monday, then pick you up at the airport that Friday night.We'll stay through the week, then fly back down together the following Sunday."

Max nodded."Yeah, that'll work."She looked up at him with a mock glare on her face."You'd better not hook up with some wannabe starlet during the week and leave me stranded at the cold, empty airport, either."

"Ahhhh, I'm wounded.How could you think so little of me?" he teased her.His eyes twinkled with humor as he grinned down at her."I'll call you while I'm there."

"Every night?"

"Every night."

She nodded at him."Ok.But you better not forget, or I'll kick your ass."

"I promise."

*******

"I'm going to kick his ass," Max fumed.

"Calm down, girl," Original Cindy sipped her beer."The boy has called you every night this week.He's probably just working late or something."

"He's there as an artistic advisor.There's nothing to work late on."Max glared at her beer angrily, as if it could offer some insight into the male psyche, then stood up and began to pace._Why am I acting like this? _Max wondered_.I'm not due to go into heat for at least another month.Damn that Logan!How can he do this to me from over 200 miles away?_

Kendra's knowing smirk interrupted Max's train of thought."Sexual frustration.Happens to me all the time."

Max turned around to look at her friend, incredulous."Excuse me?"

"Sexual frustration.Logan's out of town and all your sexual energy is building up because you don't have a release for it."

"Logan and I -" The ringing of the phone cut Max off mid-sentence.She started to dive for the receiver, then visibly composed herself.Casually, she walked over picked up the receiver."Hello?" she asked, her demure tone at complete odds with her mood prior to the ringing of the phone.Original Cindy and Kendra collapsed on to the couch in a fit of laughter.Max glared at them.

"Ahhhh, amour," Kendra sighed.

"You said it, homegirl," Original Cindy agreed.

"Max, you there?"Logan's voice came over the phone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here.'Sup?"Max tried to act nonchalant, as if she hadn't been furious at Logan only moments before.

"Snowstorm," was the reply."All the cells are down, and I only managed to get a land line by driving down to Delta."

A delighted smile slowly spread across Max's face."You didn't drive over 40 miles in a snowstorm just to call me, did you?" she asked softly.

Logan's voice was quiet."I promised, Max."He paused, listening to the silence coming from the other end of the line."You didn't think I was going to call, did you?"

Max shrugged."No big dealio.I just figured you were working late or something."

"Right."Logan sighed, guessing that Max had probably been spitting nails."Remind me to kick your ass when you get up here tomorrow night," he mock growled at her.

"Oh, you could try," Max teased.

Logan smiled into his receiver, knowing that he had cheered her up."Might be fun.Listen, I have to go.I have to get back on the road if I don't want to get snowed in to Delta tonight.See you tomorrow, Max."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."Smiling to herself, Max hung up the phone carefully.As far as she was concerned, tomorrow night wasn't going to arrive nearly quick enough.

*******

The airplane ride was completely uneventful and mercifully short.The plane had barely gained altitude before it started on it's decent into Vancouver International Airport.Max looked at her passport and checkpoint papers again._Nicole Williams, Personal Assistant to Cale Anson.Identification, passport… He even managed to scrounge up a library card and a well-used credit card.Logan certainly doesn't cut corners_.Max smiled in amusement as she leaned back into the soft seat._First class accommodations, too.I'm sure it's all part of our cover story, but a girl could really get used to treatment like this, Logan Cale.No, not Logan Cale. Just Cale.Gotta get used to calling him by his last name,_ she reminded herself.Max peered out the window as the plane began its approach to the runway.Instead of the gentle touchdown she was expecting, the bounced along the runway a few times before finally settling down.

"Thank you, Captain Kangaroo," the man sitting next to Max muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Max asked.

The man motioned carelessly towards the cockpit."I'd bet money that the pilot used to be a damn squiddy.A wingwiper will take his time and coast in for a landing, but squiddies will land a plane like they're trying to catch the three-wire.Ask him, if you don't believe me.I'd bet money on it."

Max chuckled to herself and looked back out the window as the plane began to taxi to the terminal.In no time at all, the passengers were given the all clear to gather their bags and begin debarking.Max smiled her thanks as her aisle mate handed down her small bag, then motioned for her to go ahead of him.As she exited the plane, she heard the man ask the pilot what branch of the military he served.She grinned to herself when the pilot proudly stated that he was Retired Navy._Glad I didn't take the bet_, she thought to herself.Her amusement quickly turned to anticipation as she thought of the man who was waiting for her on the other side of the gangway._Calm down, Max.You can't go rushing into his arms like a girl with her first crush.It's not like that.Even if it were, you are here as his assistant, not as his girlfriend_.The internal lecture continued as she started towards the terminal door.The internal lecture droned on in her head as she scanned the crowd for his face.The internal lecture came to a screeching halt as his gorgeous blue eyes captured hers from across the room.Slowly, as if they were the only people in the entire airport, they walked towards each other.Absently, she noticed that he didn't lean on his cane as heavily as he used to.That was a good sign.She saw him mouth her name, a brilliant smile lighting up his face, as he stopped in front of her.They stood in silence, lost in each others eyes for an eternity of heartbeats.

"Nicole.I trust you had a good flight?" Logan finally asked.Desperately, he fought the urge to pull her into his arms.Instead, he reached out and caught one of her hands tenderly between his own.Hidden from casual view, he caressed her palm with his thumb.

It took Max a moment to remember that she was supposed to be Nicole."Oh, yes, thank you.It was good," she replied with a smile.Max felt her knees start to go weak from Logan's simple caress.She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

Davis, standing a few feet away from the couple, shook his head and sighed."Damn.I wish I could've gotten that on film," he muttered to himself.He cleared his throat loudly, catching their attention."Hey, take it down a notch or five, guys.No one's going to believe that you two just work together if they see you making googly-eyes like that."He smiled as Max blushed prettily and Logan industrially studied the ground at his feet."Come on.Let's get your bags, Ms. Williams, then we can get back to the site."Without another word, Davis turned around and started for the baggage claim area.

Logan looked down at Max, smiled, and offered his arm."Shall we, Nicole?"

Max nodded and hooked her arm around Logan's."Why, thank you, Cale."They grinned at each other, then casually sauntered through the terminal after Davis's retreating form.

*******

Bags collected, the three of them made their way out to Davis' waiting car.As if she had ridden around in limos all her life, Max smiled and nodded absently to the driver as he opened the door and ushered her inside.Max shook her head silently at all the opulence and wealth displayed before her, absently wondering if the car would be a better fence as a whole or broken down into it's material components.

"Sorry for picking you up in this broken down heap, Ms. Williams," Davis' voice broke into her thoughts.

The surprise must have been evident on her face, because Logan laughed."Pay him no mind, Nicole.He's milking the production company for all it's worth."

Davis snorted."They stick me in Vancouver in winter.Damn straight that I'm making my life as easy as possible while I'm here."

Max smiled at them both.It was good to see Logan so at ease as he joked with his friend.She hadn't realized how much of a vacation he had actually needed until now.Determined to catch up on what he had been doing for the past week, she turned in her seat to face him."So, how have things been going?Is the director putting all your 'artistic advice' to good use?"

Logan rolled his eyes."Davis wasn't kidding when he said that his director was making a farce out of the whole play.There were a lot of mis-interpretations and mis-understandings that had to be cleared up, from an overall standpoint, but the basics were still there."

"Yeah, right," Davis sarcastically agreed."The whole thing looked more like 'Robocop' does 'The Sound of Music' than your play," he finished.

"'Robocop' does 'The Sound of Music'?"

Logan chuckled."A pre-pulse movie and a pre-pulse play turned movie, both done long before any of us were born," he explained.

"Ahhh, no culture in the youth of today," Davis lamented."Didn't you ever spend Saturday afternoons watching really old movies when you were a kid?" he asked Max.

"No, my Saturday afternoons were usually spent learning theories of entropy states and the general thermodynamics of plasmas as applied to closed systems," she immediately replied.A thoughtful look crossed her face as she tilted her head to one side."Either that, or target practice."

Davis blinked at her, his expression blank.Logan quickly turned to look out the window, hiding his smile."Uhh, yeah," Davis finally said into the silence.He favored Max with an puzzled glance and cleared his throat."Well, did you get a chance to read the play?"At Max's nod, he grunted."Good, good.So, tell me, what is your interpretation of the whole thing."

"Well, the lead character is a man named Michael MacArren.He's a military genetics doctor who has written several papers on his theories of DNA sequencing.The play starts with him getting transferred to a base in Arizona, where he thinks he is being sent to further his research.When he gets there, he finds out that his theories have already been applied to half a dozen human subjects in the hopes of making a better soldier.He quickly is made to understand that his options have become severely limited now that he has been let in on the government's little secret.His job is to find out why the test subjects are "burning out", for want of a better description.He starts to work with Jessica, who was one of the first soldiers to be created.As they spend more and more time together, Michael realizes that there is something more important that his work and Jessica realizes that she is capable of being something other than a soldier.Just as they come to recognize that they love each other, Michael receives his transfer orders.He becomes suspicious about how quickly he is ushered off of the base and finds out that his orders were generated because the government plans to shut down the current project and start again somewhere else.He also finds out that Jessica and the others have been scheduled for termination via lethal injection."Max paused and took a sip of the water Logan had handed her earlier.

"He sneaks back onto the base and manages to free the test subjects, but not before Jessica and some of the others receive a partial dose of the lethal serum.He administers the antidote to all of them, but they are unable to walk without help.Michael leads them back out the way he came in and just as they reach the fence, the escape is discovered.Michael and the others split up, and Michael finds an tannery to hide in.Just as a search party starts to close in, Jessica goes into arrest.He can't do CPR on her, because the guards will hear him, so instead he just holds her as she dies in his arms.When the search party finally passes, Michael contemplates taking his own life because he has just lost his love.He kisses her goodbye and-"Max broke off and looked out the window."Are we here?" she asked.

Davis looked out the window and nodded at her."Yep.This is it.This is where you and Cale will be staying.It's about 5 minutes from the theatre site, and should have everything you need for another week's stay.If there's something you want that isn't already supplied, all you have to do is call the main office and it'll be delivered within a few hours, right to your front door."

The limo rolled to a stop in front of a wide porch.As Logan gallantly helped her out of the car, Max looked up at him."Where _we'll_ be staying?" she whispered fiercely.

Logan smiled at her soothingly."The cabin has three bedrooms, an office and a meeting room.Davis and other production members are staying with their assistants in cabins just like this one.Everything is very above the board, so don't worry."

Max flashed him an unreadable look as she allowed him to escort her up the steps.The driver had already taken her bags in and deposited them in her room by the time she and Logan had reached the door.Davis grinned to himself as he watched the pair, knowing that such a romantic setting was going to add to the electricity that already sparked between them.

"We'll see you at 9:30 tomorrow morning," he smiled."Sleep well."_Oh, yes, this was going to be an interesting week_.

** **

~*~*~*~*~*~


	3. Arrival

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Author's Note: I'd like to thank my wonderful beta readers, Heather and Meg, for their wonderful suggestions and insights.You two are the BEST!**

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 3 – Arrival

Max and Logan arrived at the theatre at nine-thirty sharp.From the way that both Logan and Davis had talked about the place, Max expected something akin to an upper-class theatre.She wasn't disappointed.The building was circular and looked to be at least two stories tall.Inside, rich red carpet covered the floor of a large lobby, setting off the deep mahogany paneling along the walls.Two grand staircases, leading to the second floor, were located just off the center of the lobby on either side of the main doors to the auditorium.There were a total of three public entrances into the auditorium itself, and two side doors on either end of the lobby that were used solely by the cast and crew.The main floor of the auditorium held just over two hundred seats and ended in a large orchestra pit at the front of the stage.Above them, the balcony held another hundred seats.

Logan smiled slightly as he watched Max take in their surroundings.When she finally looked back at him, he smiled."Quite a place, isn't it?" he asked.

Max nodded."Yeah.Two emergency exits on either side of the theatre, leading, I assume, to the hallways used by the cast and crew, from the way that the lobby was laid out.Backstage, there are two sets of stairs to the stage itself, and doors on both walls.I'm guessing there will be at least two exits from the backstage area leading outside as well, right?"Max looked over at Logan, who nodded.

"Exits to the outside are right off of the wings.Backstage, there are a total of five small dressing rooms with their own bathrooms, one community dressing room with two bathrooms, two offices, a kitchen with another exit to the outside, a conference room, a sewing room and an electrical room."He looked at her and smiled."I think I'm starting to pick up some of your habits."

Max grinned."Always know your exits.It's a good code to live by."

"Can't argue with that.C'mon, let's find a seat."Careful not to touch her and give the wrong impression to the curious glances that were directed their way, Logan lead her down the center aisle of the auditorium.The air was filled with the smell of sawdust and paint.The sound of power tools and shouted conversations echoed in the empty hall, as the stage crew feverishly worked on the set.A fainter scent of paper and coffee was also present, as was a musky smell of clothing that had been packed away too long.Actors, singularly and in groups, were scattered throughout the auditorium, going over lines, sleeping or justreminiscingabout past shows.On one corner of the stage, Davis was immersed in a heated discussion with an older man.He absently acknowledged their presence with a wave.The other man, who had a petulant expression on his face that looked as if it were permanent, gave the barest of nods in their general direction, then turned his attention back to Davis.

"That's Jerry Layten, the director," Logan whispered to Max as they made their way towards the large stage. He guided her into a row of plush, red-velvet seats, far enough away that they could talk quietly without being overheard, but close enough that they would not appear to be standoffish.Max was here as his assistant; she would lose all credibility as such if they were to fall back onto the more-than-familiar camaraderie they shared at home.

Once they had seated themselves, Logan hung his cane over the back of the seat in front of them.He inclined his head closer to Max and spoke softly."One of the things that I quickly found out is that Jerry has this very over-inflated opinion of himself as a director, just because some show he directed, pre-pulse, won an award or something."Logan paused, resisting the temptation to nibble on her earlobe."Everyone else has a very under-inflated opinion of him."

The feel of his lips so close to her ear sent tiny shivers down Max's spine.She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and absently wondered what his reaction would be if she were to return the favor.She thought furiously for a moment, trying to come up with a subject to broach, then smiled to herself as one came to mind.Slowly, she leaned in closer to him."Cale," she whispered, her lips a fraction of an inch away from his ear.

Logan had turned his attention back to the discussion between Davis and Jerry, so he hadn't noticed Max shifting around.When she spoke, the feel of her breath across his ear made his heart pound.Slowly, Logan turned to face her.She didn't move back, so Logan leaned forward until his forehead lightly touched hers.Her lips were tantalizingly close; all he had to do would be to tilt his head slightly-

"Would you like me to get you some coffee, Mr. Anson?" Max's voice broke into his daydream.He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his head, as she grinned impishly at him.His reactions delighted her to no end.

Logan smiled back at her, trying very hard to calm his racing heart."Yes, Ms. Williams, I would like some coffee, thank you."

"Coming right up."Slowly, like the cat whose DNA she carried, Max rose from the chair.Logan watched her appreciatively as she made her way to the aisle. _Only Max would be able to make sidestepping out of a row of chairs look sexy, Logan thought to himself.He admired the way her red sweater hugged her sleek torso before disappearing into a pair of form-fitting black jeans and matching leather boots.The outfit was a little tamer than Max's usual fare, but the sweater was cut low enough to tantalize him with thoughts of the dusky curves hidden beneath.His gaze followed her every movement as she poured two cups of coffee and then made her way back to him.As she handed him his cup and slid back down into her seat, the ongoing argument recaptured their attention._

"No, Jerry, we cannot bring in any Canadian Mounties, or whatever the hell they are now, just to fill in as military stand-ins.You have more than enough people in the cast to double-up on roles, which is what I told you to do from day one," Davis firmly stated.

"But, I-"

"No."Davis held up a finger to forestall the man from opening his mouth again."I said 'No' and that's final.Do we understand each other?"Jerry frowned and nodded reluctantly."Good."Davis checked his watch."It's almost time for our meeting with the rest of the staff, and I still have some final things I need to take care of.If you'll excuse me?"He didn't wait for Jerry's answer as he jumped off the stage and headed directly towards Logan and Max.

With a heartfelt sigh, he threw himself into the seat in front of Logan.****He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and well-used hiking boots.A pale blue shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows completed the ensemble.On anyone else, the outfit would have looked rumpled; on Davis, it just looked comfortable."God help me if I ever have to work with him again," he said with a shake of his head."You wouldn't believe half of the stuff he just _had to bring to my attention this morning.Did you sleep well?" he suddenly asked Max._

Only knowing him for a few hours, Max wasn't used to Davis' abrupt subject changes."Ahh, yes, thank you," she hesitantly replied.

"Cale's snoring didn't keep you awake all night, did it?" Davis grinned at Logan.

"No, he doesn't snore," Max automatically answered.She felt blood rush into her face as she realized what her response had implied."Um.. I mean… No, I mean I don't mean…"Helplessly, she looked over at Logan.If she weren't so mortified, the stunned and incredulous look on his face would have made her laugh.As it was, Davis was unsucessfully trying to contain his own amusement.Max turned back to him, feeling the heat of embarrassment engulf her once more."I have really good hearing, and I didn't hear him, so, I mean, I can only assume that he doesn't snore," she tried to explain.

"Uh-huh."

Aware that anything else she may try to say would only deepen the hole she was already in, Max turned her attention to her coffee cup.

"I'm sorry, Nicole, but the look on both of your faces was absolutely priceless.Oh, God, I haven't laughed like that in ages."He wiped his eyes and smiled at the both of them."Anyway, we have a meeting to go to now, and I want to introduce you to everyone.Your only job around here will be to help Cale out with his job, which is to try to give the leads some final pointers regarding the motivation of their characters.Although if they don't have it by now, they never will.Hell Week starts tomorrow, dress rehearsal is on Friday, and opening night is on Saturday.I'll hand out rehearsal schedules at the meeting, and then go over the ones that I'd like you two to attend later today.Other than that, your time is your own."With that, Davis got up and made his way out to the aisle, leaving the pair sitting in a now sparsely filled auditorium.

Max shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering what Logan was thinking, when he chuckled.She looked over at him, surprised.

"You know, one of these days, we're going to look back on this and laugh," Logan looked at her and started to laugh quietly, his eyes twinkling with amusement."Of all the answers either one of us could have given Davis, I certainly didn't expect that from you."

Max watched him for a moment, and then started to smile."I guess I really did put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?"

"Ahh, you put both feet in and started to chew," Logan grinned at her."C'mon.We're going to be late to our meeting."****

*******

"I want to introduce you to Cale's assistant, Ms. Nicole Williams," Davis announced to the small group that filled the meeting room. "Cale has told me that Nicole's father was in the military and that she attended military school with her brothers and sisters for a while, so she is a wealth of information about military procedures, just waiting to be tapped."

Max turned to look at Logan, a bemused half-smile on her face at Davis' not-so-inaccurate description of her background.Logan winked at her and smiled slightly.

"Nicole, seated to my left is Jerry Layten, our director."Jerry peered myopically at Max and smiled absently.He was not a tall man, slightly hunched from age.He vainly fussed with what was left of his hair, trying to smooth the single white lock over his head to hide his bald pate."To Jerry's left is our stage manager, Debbie."A blond woman, who looked to be in her early forties, smiled warmly at Max."On my right is Alan, who will be playing Michael."A young man with light brown hair and green eyes nodded at her, a grin playing at his lips."And to Alan's right is Crystal, who will be playing Jessica."Crystal nodded slowly at Max, her light blue eyes containing an unreadable expression."The only person we're missing is my assistant, Linda.Linda can easily handle anything that I can't get to.You'll meet her later.And of course, you know Cale." Davis finished, his eyes twinkling.

Logan glanced over at Max after the introductions had been made.He knew that she wasn't comfortable with meeting a bunch of new people; mostly from the way she had warily regarded each one when they entered the conference room earlier.And he hadn't missed the way that she had seated herself at the far end of the table, back to the wall, with a clear path to the room's only exit, either.To all outward appearances, she was calm and collected.To Logan, it was obvious that she didn't want to be in the meeting at all.

Carefully, so that only Max was privy to his actions, he grabbed a handful of rubber bands that were sitting on the shelf behind them.Davis was explaining something about how the set was going to be changed, and was facing away from the small group sitting around the table.Quickly, Logan shot a rubber band at his friend, striking him directly in the middle of his back.It was so un-Logan-like that Max was hard pressed to keep a straight face when Davis looked around, trying to catch the culprit.It had the desired effect, though.Once Logan finally ran out of rubber bands, Max was not nearly as tense as she had been at the beginning of the meeting.Sharing a conspiratorial grin, they both turned their attention back to the meeting that was going on around them.

"Now, to wrap this up, I have the rehearsal schedules for Tech Week."Davis said.He handed a stack of papers to Debbie, who started to pass them around the table."As you can see, we are not, I repeat, not going to rehearse tonight."He raised his hand to forestall the murmur of surprise that went around the table."This will be the calm before the storm, so I want everyone to have a good time on our last free Saturday night.The company is footing the bill for dinner at one of the local restaurants and everyone is invited.This doesn't mean that you're going to get out of rehearsal today, however.We're going to continue with the usual schedule and bring in lunch, then work until four.Understood?" He looked around the table for their nods of acquiescence."Good, let's get to work."

*******

"No, no, no!How many times do I have to say it?You need to move down left on that line, crossing behind Jessica, so she can turn around and run into Michael," the director yelled.

"Jerry, I have it written right here that you wanted me to cross up left, in front of Crystal," the actor shot back.

"Where's my stage manager?Debbie?!" Jerry turned around to glare at the handful of people that made up the audience.

"Up left and in front, Jerry," Debbie's bored voice answered him."You changed it yesterday morning." _Again, the word floated into the silence, although she didn't voice it aloud._

"Fine, fine.Up left, in front of Jessica.From the top, Act 2, scene 1.Again, please?"

Davis rolled his eyes at the scene unfolding on the stage and turned in his seat to face to Logan and Max."That's the third time he's changed the blocking in as many days.We're opening in a week, and he's still changing things around.I'm going to have to have a talk with him, _again.Damn idiot.An entire stage to work with and all he has the actors doing is moving from one side to the other.No depth perception at all.It's another damned 'Layten's Lineup' production in the making."_

They watched the scene run to its completion, then Davis shouted down at the stage."Jerry, go to the next scene and give me Alan and Crystal in the small room.I'd like them to work with Cale and Nicole for a bit."Davis chuckled when the third actor on the stage gave the two leads a black look as they made their escape into the audience.Logan and Max followed Davis to a small conference room backstage.Davis leaned casually against one wall as Logan and Max sat down next to each other at the little table.

Alan was the first to arrive.He nodded a greeting to everyone in the room, deftly spun one of the chairs around and straddled it, resting his arms on the back of the chair.He was bouncy; that was the only adjective that came to Max's mind to describe him.He was about the same height as Logan**, **good-looking, mid-twenties, with thick brown hair that fell over his forehead.Unconsciously, he raked it back with one hand and smiled warmly at Max."Were you really in the military?" he asked.

"It was more of a military school," she replied evenly.

He grinned at her."Damn.My father threatened to send me to a military school once.I would have gone if I had known someone like you would've been there."

Max smiled at the obvious flirtation, ignoring Logan's steady gaze and Davis' abrupt coughing fit."Trust me, it wasn't a picnic."

Alan nodded."No doubt.My dad was military.Marines.I'm kinda the black sheep of the family because I didn't follow in dear ol' dad's footsteps.He'd probably laugh his ass off to see me in military digs for this show, even if it does mean that I'm finally gonna have to get my hair cut short."He turned to look back at the stage through the half open door."Crystal, come on, we have work to do," he shouted.

Crystal breezed into the room, slid into the seat next to Logan and smiled at all three men.She was a petite, pale, strawberry blonde who looked to be in her early twenties.Based on her first impression, Max had serious doubts about her ability to pull off a strict military persona.Still, she'd give the girl the benefit of the doubt and wait until she had more information before she made any judgments.

"Sorry 'bout that," Crystal drawled."I had to get my notebook so I could tap into this wealth of military information of yours," she looked at Max and smiled insincerely."I'm interested to get your impression of the military from being in a school as opposed to actually growing up in a military family."

"You were raised in a military family?" Logan asked.

Crystal smiled winningly at Logan."Yeah.My father and grandfather both flew for the Air Force.I've been all over the world, but I was raised mostly in England.We were transferred to Georgia when I was about fourteen, and my family's been there ever since.I was going to join the military for a while, and even was accepted for officer training in college when I decided that I would rather spend my life on the stage instead."

"So, you were actually raised on military bases, because your father was in the military, but you've never been in the military yourself," Max clarified.

Crystal looked at her coldly."Technically.But my father was very involved in his work, so really the whole family was in the military.I even dated a West Point Cadet for a while, so I think I have a good idea of how the military operates."

Max blinked, wondering if Crystal actually believed all the crap she was spouting.While she didn't disbelieve that Crystal was from a military family, she knew that in no way did the other woman have one-tenth of the knowledge of what military life was really like.She glanced surreptitiously at Logan, wondering if he saw through Crystal's bluster as well.From all outwards appearances, Logan's expression was one of calm acceptance and mild interest.Max knew better.It was his 'Eyes Only' face; the one he wore when he was doing his cable hacks.The one he wore when he was hiding his true feelings from the person he was speaking with at the time.Max smiled to herself, knowing that Logan hadn't been taken in by the woman's posturing.

"I'm sure my extensive background and familiarity with the military is one of the reasons I was cast in this part," Crystal finished.

"Of course it was," Logan said, smiling gently at the young woman.Crystal's triumphant smile slowly faltered as Max smiled back at her; a smile that completely belied the message in her eyes.Crystal jumped when Davis cleared his throat.

"Well, I have to get a move on.I'll catch up with you later, Cale, to see how things are going.Give Linda a yell if you need anything."

Logan nodded as Davis slipped out and closed the door."Well, let's get started, I guess.Are there any questions you have about the play that I haven't been able to answer yet?"

Alan nodded."Yeah, I know Michael is supposed to be really involved in his work and everything, and I'm sure, in the book, that it really came across, but with the play, I don't see the point between where he separates his work from his own morals and his love for Jessica."

Logan's brow furrowed."There really isn't a separation.Michael's work means everything to him and his work is a result of his morals.He's trying to make the world a better place by using advanced DNA sequencing to help people.The fact that Jessica and the others are a result of his research should fill him with a sense of pride and accomplishment.At the same time, he should feel horrified that the only use the government has for his theories is to make human fighting machines.

"So, he loves Jessica because she is his perfect woman, genetically speaking?"

"Yes and no," Logan replied."What he loves about her, although he won't admit it to himself, is her wit and her intellect and …..She is able to challenge the way he looks at life.Genetically speaking, she is the perfect woman, and he wouldn't be a man if he didn't notice that as well, but it's her spirit that calls to him, not her genetic make up." 

"But isn't it obvious to everyone that they are in love?" Alan asked.

"In that kind of atmosphere, there isn't any such thing as love," Max interjected."Michael's job is to do his research on the subjects supplied.He isn't supposed to care that the subjects are human.To everyone else, they're lab rats.The soldiers are test subjects; they don't know what love is because they have never been exposed to it.The other doctors don't care because all they are interested in is the fact that their research is state-of-the-art stuff.Michael has forced himself to become so involved in his work that it has become his entire reason for living.It's prevented him from seeing what is happening around him.He doesn't want to see anything else," she continued."He's… he's obsessed with his work, sometimes to the point of excluding and pushing away those that could care for him.He's put this… doctor-patient relationship that he has with Jessica as a barrier between them so as to keep her at a distance and not let his conscience start to question what he is actually doing.He wants to keep things nice, safe, and sterile.His first love is his work.He doesn't believe that he has room for a second love."

"But Jessica has her own problems," Logan threw in."Here she is, this genetically enhanced woman, who was raised as a soldier.She was taught that love is a weakness.She is deathly afraid of falling in love, and fights it by using sarcasm and bravado and even running away.She keeps Michael at a distance, not because she isn't interested in him, but because she is afraid of loving him.She is afraid of losing control of herself.She doesn't realize that by loving someone, she becomes that much stronger, because his strengths balance out her weaknesses and visa versa."

"So, they finally realize they love each other when Michael's orders come in to transfer him to another base?" Crystal finally chimed in.

"Yeah, he leaves, then returns to break her and the others out when he hears that the project is to be terminated and her life is in danger.He realizes that he doesn't want to live without her and that he is her only hope of surviving," Max said quietly.

"Michael is afraid to tell Jessica that he loves her, because he's afraid that he can't meet her expectations and because he thinks that she may run away from him if he tells her," Logan said, watching Max from across the small table.

"Jessica is afraid to tell Michael that she loves him, because she's scared of endangering him and because she thinks that she would take second place to his research," Max added, meeting Logan's gaze with her own.

A thick silence descended over the room as Max and Logan stared into each other's eyes, neither one quite sure what had surreptitiously been admitted.

Slightly confused at the conversation they were now having, Alan broke the silence. "Are we still taking about the play?"

Crystal cleared her throat noisily, "This is ridiculous.I am so out of here."She started to stand up and gather her things when Max slammed her hands down on the table, making the two men jump in surprise, and leapt to her feet.

"Sit down and shut up, soldier!" she yelled at Crystal.Unconsciously, Logan sat a little straighter in his chair.It couldn't recall a time that he ever seen Max fall into full Manticore-mode.He was just glad that herwrath wasn'tdirected at him.

"You are here for a reason, and that is to learn what we have to teach you," Max yelled at the hapless girl."Now, if you don't want me to kick your lily-white ass from here to Ontario, you will pay attention and you will learn something.Is that understood?"Crystal gaped at her, eyes wide in amazement.Max leaned forward over the small table, invading her personal space.Her eyes were cold and ruthless as she stared down the other girl."I asked you a question, soldier." Max's voice was low and deadly."Is. That. Understood."

Crystal nodded frantically."Y-yes," she stammered.

"Yes, what?" Max asked.Crystal shook her head, shrinking back in her chair."The answer is 'Understood, ma'am'.Think you can handle that, soldier?"

"Y-yes.Yes.Understood, ma'am," Crystal managed to squeak out.

"Good."Max dropped back down into her seat, all traces of the hard-assed military commander wiped clean."That's what Jessica is.It's not a job to her.It's not about having other people salute to her or marching in a parade or living on a military base with her family.It is her life.She _is military.She was raised to be a soldier.She has never known anything else.She is a cold-hearted bitch whose only objective is to see the mission accomplished, whatever the mission may be.No one can breach the walls she has built around herself and her heart."_

"Except Michael," Logan added.****

Max nodded and smiled slightly at him."Except Michael.But only eventually.He has to work for it.Alan has it easy," she looked over at the young man, who grinned at her."Michael wasn't raised military, so he doesn't have the same mindset as Jessica."She turned to look back at Crystal."Your job is going to be harder, because you need to get across to the audience that you are completely, one hundred percent military.Jessica is the result of a military experiment.They don't see her as a human being.They have complete control over her entire life, and if they decide that she is more useful to them under an autopsy microscope, then…" Max shrugged her shoulders, leaving the rest of her sentence unsaid.

"Well," Logan said into the silence."Any other questions?"

*******

"So there we were, watching the St. Pat's parade go by and drinking our green beer, when these three girls stroll up to us," Davis paused and took a swig of his beer."One of them had a little puppy with her.It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.So tiny, you could hold it in the palm of your hand.Well, Cale there immediately goes _care-ful-ly down on one knee to pet the dog, which is not an easy thing to do when you're wearing a kilt, unless you don't care about flashing the world.He's petting the dog and looking up at the girl and chatting with her; things like, 'What kind of dog is it?', 'How old is it?'; that kind of stuff._

"Now, during this entire conversation, the little puppy has started to wander around and, sure enough, it wanders under Cale's kilt.All that anyone can see of it is this little-bitty tail, just a-waggin' away.And Gideon, being the concerned brother that he is, is sitting back and enjoying the show.I, on the other hand, am trying to get Cale's attention to let him know what the hell is going on.The conversation went like 

'Cale..'

'Hang on.How long have you had the dog?'

'Cale..'

'Just a minute. What breed is it?'

"Well, pretty soon, a cold, wet puppy nose touched what cold, wet puppy noses should never touch," Davis grinned at the laughter that started around the table."Cale must have leapt at least five feet into the air, with a shout that managed to drown out at least two bagpipe bands and a fire truck."Logan leaned back and buried his embarrassment in his beer."And," Davis paused dramatically, "All three girls plus half of the crowd found out the answer to what is actually worn beneath a kilt."

The table exploded into laughter at the end of Davis' story, with several shouted requests from some of the more vocal women for a repeat performance at the local St. Pat's parade on the following Saturday.Logan waved them off and sipped his beer."Thanks, Davis.I thought that story was well and truly forgotten."

"Are you kidding?I tell it every chance I get," came the reply.

"Oh, wonderful."Logan turned to look at Max, who was still laughing at the story."Would you like another beer?" he asked, trying to change the subject.At her nod, he made his way to the crowded bar.While he was waiting for the bartender to return with his drinks, Crystal squeezed in next to him and smiled.

"You know, puppy noses are really overrated," she looked at him seductively from beneath her lashes.

Logan blinked at her, not quite sure that he heard her correctly."Excuse me?"

Crystal pressed her body closer to him, one hand casually working its way up his hip."This is our last free night before Hell Week starts.Maybe we could leave early and head back to my cabin for a drink or two in private.You could help me with my …. lines," she purred at him.

"Uhh, I'm … flattered, really, but I don't think that would be a good idea."Logan jumped when he felt her squeeze his ass."Really, I'm going to have to decline."

Crystal shrugged and backed away from him, "Your loss."She watched him as he picked up his drinks and made his way back to the table.Alan filled the empty spot at the bar and grinned at her, obviously having had watched the entire exchange.

"I don't even know why you even try with him, Crystal.Can't you see he's head over heels in love with Nicole?" he asked as he nodded to the bartender for another round."He hasn't shown any interest since the day he arrived, and now it's obvious why.They try to hide it, but you'd have to be blind not to see that they're crazy about each other."

Crystal looked at Alan and arched an eyebrow at him."Really.If you believe that, then why do you keep staring at her when you think no one is looking?"

"Can't blame a guy for appreciating the sights to be seen."Alan grinned at her."The difference is, I'm not blatantly throwing myself at her.Just face the facts, Crystal.He's not interested."He raised his beer in salute to her and turned to make his way back to the table and the ongoing party.

Crystal's eyes narrowed as she watched him leave."We'll see," she muttered to herself.****

*******

A brisk knocking at their door brought a sleepy Logan out of a very pleasant dream.He heard voices in the hallway speaking quietly. _Max and Davis, he thought sleepily.He had just started to fade back to sleep when he heard a soft tap as his door._

"Logan?Davis needs to talk to you," Max said softly."Are you awake?"

Logan sat up and rubbed his eyes.Max had asked for Logan, not Cale, which meant that Davis was alone."Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there," he replied.Quickly, he tossed on a robe and a pair of sweatpants, and then joined them in the living room.Davis was standing there with a very concerned, almost stressed, look on his face.

"What's wrong," Logan asked.

Davis sighed."Alan.He went and got himself a concussion and three bruised ribs last night.Seems after he left the company party, he and some of the other guys in the cast found a country bar that had a mechanical bull, of all things.The result is that Alan is in the hospital until Wednesday and on bed rest until Sunday, which means that we're without a lead to open on Saturday.Jerry, in all his wisdom, didn't take the time to have anyone learn any stand-in roles."Davis looked at Logan, his eyes unreadable.

"So… why are you telling me this?" Logan asked, apprehensively.

"Because I want you to fill in as Michael.Just for Saturday night," he finished, cutting off Logan's immediate denial."You've been rehearsing with him all last week.It's not like you don't know the play; hell, you wrote the original story."

"Davis, I really don't do well at public speaking," Logan protested.

"You keep saying that," Max muttered to herself, trying to hide her grin as Logan frowned at her.

"It's not public speaking.It's a play.They are two different things", Davis said."The lights will be shining on you and you won't even be able to see the audience.Please, Cale, I need you.It's only for one night, I promise.I'm going to put a stand-in on book right away, just in case Alan isn't up to doing Sunday, but I need you for opening."

"Davis, I walk with a cane, for godssake.You can't expect that people will believe I'm a military captain when they see me walk on stage with a cane," Logan objected.

Davis shook his head."Naw, it'll be fine.The audience will just believe that he was hurt at some point during his career.It'll make the character more tragic.Please, Logan, I wouldn't ask this of you if I wasn't desperate."

The pleading look in Davis' eyes was more than Logan could take.He glanced over at Max, who shrugged."I could help you learn your lines," she offered."I already know the entire play."

Logan sighed, then looked back at Davis."All right, I'll do it.Opening night only."

Davis smiled in relief."Thanks.I really owe you for this one.We're going to start rehearsal at eleven this morning, so you have a few hours to look the script over.I can't thank you enough.I'll name my next kid after you, I promise."

Logan laughed."Yeah, right.I'll see you at eleven."Davis grinned again and quickly left.Logan turned to Max and shook his head."What have I gotten myself into now?"

** **

~*~*~*~*~*~

** **

**Author's Note: Fwiw, the kilt/doggy story is a true one.I have never laughed so hard in my life.******


	4. Hell Week

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Author's Note: Mucho thanks to my wonderful beta readers, Meg and Heather, who waited patiently for me to finish this extremely long chapter. You two are the absolute best-est of the best!**

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 4 – Hell Week

Sunday 

Instead of going directly to the theatre, Max and Logan made a side stop to visit Alan.It was a typical hospital room; lime green curtains in front of a dirty window, softly chirping monitors, and an IV tree with what looked like a half-deflated plastic octopus hanging from it.It was a good thing that Alan was the only occupant, because the room was already filled with balloons, stuffed animals and plants from other members of the cast.Max was hard-pressed to find an empty area to place their own gift; a plant and a large mylar balloon.The balloon had a picture of what Logan had identified as 'The Cat in the Hat', along with the phrase 'Green Eggs and Ham: Hospital Fresh since 1960'.Max didn't get it, but it made Alan laugh.The three of them were chatting amicably when the duty nurse approached to give Alan his medication.Shortly thereafter, Alan's eyelids started to sag.Determined to let him get the rest he needed, Max and Logan said their goodbyes and headed for the theatre.

Davis smiled a relieved smile when the couple walked into the auditorium.He was dressed in another pair of faded blue jeans with a pale blue shirt that matched the color of his eyes._Apparently, the dress code around here is casually comfortable_, Max thought to herself.She was glad that her own outfit of dark blue jeans, topped by a pale cream colored sweater, fit the relaxed atmosphere, yet wasn't so informal that it would give away their little charade.Logan, as always, was dressed in his normal stylish manner consisting of a pair of snug blue jeans and a deep blue button down shirt that made his eyes seem even darker.

As Max and Logan started down the aisle, Davis waved them over to where he was speaking with Debbie, the stage manager, and one of the other actors, a young man named Ron.Debbie smiled a greeting at them, then returned her attention to Ron as he handed back the large 'Get Well' card he had just finished signing.As they watched, he then handed Debbie some money, which she put away in a small zippered pouch.

Once he had left, Logan nodded at the pouch in her hands."What's that for?"

"We're taking up a collection among the other actors and stage crew to help Alan pay for his medical bills," Debbie replied."Even though he's with the guild and the company has insurance on him, he wasn't hurt while performing, so everything is coming directly out of his pocket.It's kind of a tradition with theatre people.If one of us gets hurt, the others pitch in to help offset the cost of getting fixed back up.

"One of the hazards of being an actor," Davis added."Even in the old days, before the Pulse, many actors had to pay for their own health plans.It's even worse now, because it's not regulated it anymore."He shook his head sadly."For all that I complained about SAG and AFTRA, they at least made a token offer to help offset medical costs."

Logan reached in his pocket."Here, add this to your collection," he said as he pulled a handful of bills out of his wallet.

She smiled sweetly at him and waved the money away."Oh, no, no, that's all right," she said."You're here as an advisor.You needn't donate any money.Why, I wouldn't even presume to ask-"

"You don't need to ask," Logan cut her off as he folded her fingers around it."Please, take it."

Debbie looked at him a moment, then nodded."Thank you.Everything we get is a big help," she replied.Without even looking at the amount that Logan had given her, Debbie put the money in the pouch.She handed Logan the card in return."I'm trying to get everyone to sign it.Even though he puts on a good act, I know Alan is upset about having to miss out on the opening of the show.We're going to have a 'welcome back' party for him when he gets out of the hospital on Wednesday.It won't be much, but hopefully it'll cheer him up a bit.It'll be held here, after rehearsal that night, if you're interested," she finished.

"I think that would be nice.Count us in," Max said as Logan handed her the pen to sign Alan's card.Debbie smiled at both of them as Max added her well wishes and handed the card and pen back.With a nod of thanks, Debbie approached another group that had just entered the auditorium, leaving Max and Logan standing alone with Davis.

"Cale, I want to say thanks again for doing this," Davis said."You're really saving my ass here."

"You owe me," Logan said, tapping Davis' chest with the curved handle of his cane."You owe me so big, you can't imagine it."

Davis grinned."I already told you.I'll name my next kid after you."

"Since I know that you can't father any more children, that doesn't cut it."

"When did I tell you about that?" Davis asked.

"You didn't.Kelli did."

"Okay, I'll name my next dog after you."

"Oh, there's a tribute."Logan said sarcastically as he glanced over at Max and rolled his eyes.

Davis laughed."Hey, my Thena-paws-puppa-girl gets more respect around my house than I do."

"Then get her to do the part," Logan replied.

"Naw."Davis shook his head."She wouldn't be able to pull off the scientific stuff.Has something to do with a lack of opposable thumbs.That's the reason dogs don't rule the earth, you know," he turned to Max and nodded seriously at her.

"No opposable thumbs?" she asked.

"Yeah.And the fact that humans aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners," he said.He grinned as Max chuckled."All kidding aside, I am grateful that you're doing this, Cale."

Logan shrugged, embarrassed."Yeah, well, it's only one night, so I guess I can live with that."

"That's the spirit," Davis said."Look at the bright side.At least no one is asking you to wear tights this time."

"Tights?" Max asked.

Logan glared at his friend."You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Tights?" Max repeated.

"Of course I did.It's in the friendship creed. 'Thou shalt embarrass thy friends in front of others, especially romantic interests, at every opportunity'.Rule number three," Davis replied.

Max paused, then decided to let the 'romantic interests' comment pass, at least for the time being."What about tights?" she asked.

"Rule number two, actually," Logan said."Rule number three is 'Thou shalt keep thy friends' secrets to thyself, unless it's really funny to do otherwise', remember?

"Wait a minute, I want to hear about tights," Max interjected.

"Ah, right, right," Davis said."I always get those two rules mixed up."

"Tell me the tights story," Max said.

"Besides, I never did wear them," Logan said.

"I'm gonna kill the both of you," Max muttered.

"Not in the play, no," Davis agreed.

"Is someone going to tell me this story, or not?" Max asked.

"There's nothing to tell," Logan insisted.

"Then why are you embarrassed about it?" she asked.

"I'm not embarrassed," Logan replied."There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"So then tell me," Max replied with infallible logic.

He opened his mouth to respond when Jerry walked out on to the stage."Cale, we're ready to get started," he said.

With a quick smile that looked suspiciously relieved, Logan shrugged."Listen, they need me up there, so … I gotta get going," he said.

"Lo-gan," Max said in a low voice.

"We'll talk later."

Davis laughed as Logan made his escape to the stage.He smothered it quickly as Max turned her steady gaze on him, although his eyes continued to twinkle with suppressed mirth.

"Are you going to tell me the story?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice.

Davis grinned."Truth be told, there really isn't anything to tell.We both were in a one night only performance of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' back at Yale.The costumes were period costumes, which included tights for the men."

"And….?" Max prompted him.

Davis' grin became even wider."And Cale was drunk off of his ass.He remembers enough that he knows that he refused to wear the tights for the show, but for the last nine years or so, I've had him convinced that he did wear the tights in the bar that we went to _after_ the show."

Max's jaw dropped in amused shock."You're kidding."

"Nope."

"And he's gone on believing this for the last nine years?" she asked.At Davis' nod, she started to laugh."Oh my god.You are so … wicked."

Davis nodded happily as he sank down into one of the plush seats."Yep.And damn proud of it, too."

"I love it," she said."Well, if it's gone on this long, I'm certainly not going to be the one to give it away."

"I knew I could count on you."

Max grinned at him, then turned to look at Logan up on the stage.He was staring at the two of them, a very slight frown on his handsome features.Max gave him a little wave as she sat down next to Davis.She chuckled softly as Logan rolled his eyes and sighed at the sight of them sitting conspiratorially together._Oh, yes, this is turning out to be a great vacation_, she thought to herself.

** **

"All right, Cale, cross down left, towards Crystal, when you say that line," Jerry instructed."You've just realized that the woman you've been working side-by-side with for months was created using your DNA sequencing theories.You're appalled and disgusted, because now she isn't the woman you thought she was.Again, from the top of that page."

Max crossed her arms and leaned forward until she was resting on the back of the seat in front of her.She was fascinated by the way the play was emotionally, as well as physically, choreographed by the director._It's like a dance_._Jerry's playing the characters off of each other, creating certain moods and tensions, but at the same time, allowing enough leeway to let the audience relate their own emotions to what's going on._

"I think that is one of the best summaries I've ever heard," Davis agreed.

Max looked up guiltily at him."I didn't realize that I said that out loud," she said.

Davis smiled as he slid into the seat next to her."Jerry is actually a very good director," he said, nodding at the stage in front of them."He knows what emotion he wants to bring out in the characters and in the audience.His blocking leaves something to be desired, but I'm working on that."

"What's blocking?" Max asked.

"Blocking is the way that the characters move in a scene.The stage is broken up into three vertical parts; right, left, and center.Stage right would be your right side as if you were standing on the stage facing the audience.Stage left would be your left side.Those three sections are then broken down further into upstage, which is towards the back of the stage, and downstage, which is towards the front.Center stage is fairly self-explanatory, and follows the same rules for up center, down center, etcetera, etcetera."

"So, when the director says 'Cross down left on that line', it means that the actor is to move towards the left hand corner of the stage closest to the audience?" Max asked.

Davis nodded."Exactly."

"And the actor is just supposed to remember all this, along with what emotions he should be acting out?"

Davis shrugged."In some plays, if they're short enough and/or don't require a lot of physical movement, that's true.In other plays, like this one, the stage manager will write down the all blocking for all the actors in her copy of the script and the individual actors will write down their own blocking and the director's instructions in their scripts.

"Which is what Lo-," Max caught herself."Cale has been doing all morning.

Davis nodded again, smiling at Max's near slip-up."Jerry takes his actors all the way through the play the first time out by sitting them all down at a table and having them do a reading.During the reading, he gives them notes on what feelings he wants to get across.That's what they did earlier this morning for Cale's benefit.Now, they're physically going through the entire play."He looked up at the stage and listened a moment before turning his attention back to Max."They've just finished act one and it looks like they're going to break for lunch."He nodded to himself as Logan and the other actors began to leave the stage.

Logan navigated his way off of the stage and headed directly for them, one hand absently running through his short hair as he approached."I am starving," he announced as he leaned against the seat in front of Max.

"You always were a slave to your stomach," Davis said, laughing at the black look Logan threw at him."C'mon.Get your coats and we'll go to that great little café that I took you to last week."He looked over at Max."You ready for lunch?" he asked.

Max nodded eagerly."One thing Cale will tell ya, I'm never one to pass up food," she replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~****

**Monday**

Max glanced up from the magazine she was reading as the sound of Logan's alarm softly penetrated the early morning silence.Lazily, she stretched out on the couch, set down her magazine, and then padded towards the kitchen to start the coffee.She had discovered that the kitchen pantry was stocked to the point of bursting during an earlier exploration of their cabin.The place seemed more like a resort than the cozy cabin that belonged to Logan's family.The front door opened on to a large living room, complete with a fireplace big enough that a small child could have stood up in it, a big-screen tv, complete with satellite hookup, and a very expensive surround-sound system.To the right of the living room was an airy dining room, and beyond that, the kitchen with its well-stocked pantry.Logan was stationed in the one and only bedroom on the first floor.His bedroom, she had previously discovered, was attached to a good-sized bathroom that also opened out into the hall.Opposite and slightly up the hall from Logan's room was a small meeting room that, despite its extreme cleanliness, looked as if it hadn't been used for quite a while.Her own bedroom shared the second floor with another bedroom and an office.Thankfully, she had her own attached bathroom; the other bathroom on the floor was obviously shared between the two other rooms.The stairs to the second floor were on the far end of the living room, opposite the front door and fireplace, and lead to a hallway that overlooked the living room below.All in all, the cabin screamed of opulence and luxury; from the hardwood floors to the thick, rich burgundy carpets in the living room and bedrooms._Nope, definitely not a bad gig at all, if you can swing it_, Max thought to herself as she measured out fresh beans into a grinder.She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as the smell began to permeate the kitchen._Trust Logan to bring his own supply of coffee, too.I don't see how he can even stand the stuff they serve at the theatre when he usually drinks stuff this great._

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Logan strode into the kitchen.His hair was wetly spiking all over his head as he rubbed it dry with a towel.He smiled warmly when he saw her."You're up awfully early," he said.

Max shrugged and returned his smile.She was having a difficult time keeping her eyes on his face, as he was standing in front of her in nothing but a pair of black button-fly jeans.A faint sheen of moisture lightly dusted his muscular shoulders.Involuntarily, Max felt her gaze slide along his chest.Miniscule beads of water, caught up in the crinkly hair, winked at her in the pre-dawn light.She quickly put her hands behind her back to keep from reaching out to touch him and forced herself to meet his eyes."You know that I only sleep a few hours a night," she replied, keeping her voice carefully light."I just figured that I'd at least get the coffee going so it'll be ready when you're finished making breakfast."

Logan laughed."Ok, I guess my assignment has been handed out."

Max snorted."Well, I know you certainly don't want me to try to make us breakfast, unless you're willing to settle for cereal."

"Oh, I don't know.I wouldn't mind you making breakfast for us some morning."His voice was a little huskier than usual as he gazed down into her eyes.Before she could formulate a reply, Logan continued, "Now, how do waffles sound to you?Fresh strawberries.Maybe a little whipped cream…."He trailed off and looked at her, one eyebrow arched questioningly at her.

Max nodded."Chef Cale, the kitchen is yours."

*******

** **

Crystal stood silently on the stage with the other eleven actors that were playing the test soldiers.The scene they were currently rehearsing called for all of them to be standing at attention.Any other time, Crystal would have hated having to hold the position for as long as the scene required; it made her back hurt.This time, however, things were different.It wasn't Alan that was pacing back and forth in front of her; it was Cale.Each time he passed her, she arched her back slightly and stuck her chest out at him.The first time she had done it, he stumbled on his line, a red flush staining his cheeks.His reaction caused a warm tingle of satisfaction to engulf her.He was so adorable when he was embarrassed.She was glad that she'd worn a tight pair of white jeans and an equally tight, checkered blouse to rehearsal today.The shirt was unbuttoned farther down than she normally would have had it, but the upside was that it showed off her cleavage rather nicely.A pair of white leather boots and a gold belt completed her ensemble and from the looks of appreciation she received from some of the other actors, she was satisfied that she struck a posing figure.

Casually, she let her gaze rest on his back, or more accurately, his ass, as he passed in front of her.His cane tapped lightly on the stage as he headed towards the opposite end of the line of actors.He was wearing his black jeans again today.His shirt was light tan in color and made his skin glow.His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his collar was unbuttoned.She saw a tuft of chest hair peeking out from underneath his shirt every time he passed her.Crystal wondered if it was as soft as it looked.When he turned around again at the opposite end of the line, she caught his eye and licked her lips in a very obvious invitation.He blinked.An unreadable expression crossed his face for a brief instant, then fled as he continued with his monologue.As the scene came to a close, Crystal turned with the others and began to move off the stage.When she passed Cale, she let one hand quickly brush along his hip.Another blink.Another glance.Crystal smiled slightly to herself, pleased with the progress she was making as she left the stage.

"All right, take a short break, and then we'll pick up with the next scene," Jerry shouted down at the stage.

Crystal watched as Cale and a couple of the other actors made their way off of the stage and to the coffee machine sitting forlornly amid a pile of styrofoam cups and stale doughnuts.Timing her pace carefully, she approached him just as he was taking his first sip of the lukewarm liquid."Has anyone ever told you that you are a very good actor, Cale?" she asked.

Logan eyed her over the rim of his cup, wondering where she was going to try to take this conversation.Affecting an air of what he hoped was interpreted as polite non-interest; he shook his head in negation."No, I don't believe so," he replied.

Crystal smiled sweetly at him."Have you ever done any acting before?" she asked.

"Briefly, when I was in collage," he replied."It wasn't anything spectacular."

"So you decided to forego the stage and become an author instead," she said.

Logan nodded.

"It's amazing, really," she continued."So many of us come from such different backgrounds, and yet we've all ended up here for this play.Do you believe in fate, Cale?"

"I don't think I understand what you mean," Logan temporized.

"Fate, kismet, destiny.Maybe we were destined to meet.Maybe fate took a hand in all this and caused Alan to get hurt, just so you and I could be in this play together."

"I wouldn't call it fate," Logan muttered."More like an occupational hazard."

Crystal frowned slightly, deciding to try another tactic."And since we are in this play together, I think we need to find out a little more about each other.So that we'll be more comfortable when we're up there on stage as tragic star-crossed lovers."Crystal moved a little closer to him and ran one finger down his arm."For instance, what do you like?What kind of hobbies do you have when you're not writing?What is it," she breathed, "that turns you on?"

"Uhhh, I really don't think that that kind of information is necessary," Logan said.

"Oh, but it is," Crystal replied."I want to know everything there is to know about you.Like why is it that you are trying so hard to appear that you're not interested in me."

Logan paused, trying to find a gentle way to tell her that it was because he truly wasn't interested in her.

Before he could respond, Crystal posed another question."Are you gay?" she asked bluntly.

For a brief instant, a fraction of a heartbeat, Logan considered telling her that he was gay.The notion was just as quickly dismissed._I'm already pretending to be Cale Anson, the author_, he thought to himself._I don't know that I could handle being Cale Anson, the gay author_."Ahh, no, I'm not gay," he said.

Crystal smirked."I know.I just wanted to hear you say it.So, is there someone else that shares your bed during these long winter nights?"She was truly interested in hearing his answer to her question._I don't think he's married, _she thought to herself._But if he were, that would explain why he's trying to play down his interest in that skinny Nicole-child.If he's not married and tells me that he's not attached to anyone, that means that he's probably ashamed of admitting that he likes her.The same applies if he tells me he is seeing someone.Even if it's Nicole, he's been trying to hide it, which still means that he's ashamed of her._

Logan was dumbfounded.He desperately tried to find a response that would dissuade Crystal, but nothing was coming to mind._Oh God, Max, where are you now that I need you to rescue me?_ he wondered.

"All right, time's up," Jerry called from the stage. He looked over to where Crystal and Logan were standing."Come on, you two.Get up here so we can start the next scene."

Crystal looked at Jerry, then turned her attention back to Logan."I guess we'll have to finish our little conversation later," she said.

_Not if I can help it_, Logan thought.He watched her return to the stage, then closed his eyes and sighed deeply._Why did I let Davis talk me into this?_He took a swig of his coffee and grimaced.It was bad enough that it was lousy coffee to being with, but now it was cold lousy coffee.Tossing the nearly full cup into the trash, he sighed again.

"Cale, we're waiting," Jerry peevishly stated.

Slowly, Logan started for the stage. _Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll trip and break my leg or something._He snorted._Yeah, and Hell is now a vacation ski resort._With a resigned shake of his head, Logan joined the other actors and began rehearsal once more.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tuesday 

Max leaned back in her seat as she watched yet another rehearsal.She had noticed Crystal's overt attention towards Logan and she wasn't sure that she liked it.No, she was damn positive that she didn't like it.Not one bit.Logan hadn't said anything about it, but the look of absolute relief he threw her way when he saw her sitting in the audience was enough to convince her that she wasn't imagining the extra attention Crystal was slathering on him.She was slightly relieved to note that he obviously didn't enjoy Crystal's pursuits anymore than Max did.But what could she do about it?Hang her from her ankles from the top of the theater and tell her to stay away from Logan? Max considered the thought for a moment, then discarded it._No, that would compromise the image that we're trying to maintain_.As much as it appealed to her, Max knew that any obvious reaction from her would probably just complicate matters._What about a non-obvious reaction?_ She wondered_.Like rat poison.Or tying her up and leaving her naked in a shopping cart in front of some truck stop.Personally, I like the rat poison idea, but that's too permanent, even for Crystal._Max sighed.Nothing was coming to mind._I suppose I'll just have to make sure that I'm always close enough to Logan to rescue him when he needs me._

** **

Max smiled at Logan as he sank into the seat next to her."You're doing really well up there," she said."Am I correct in thinking that Jerry is actually going to let you guys leave for the night, or is this just another break?" she asked.

"We're done for tonight," Logan replied.He was about to say something else when he noticed that Max was staring over his shoulder, a carefully blank expression on her face.He turned to see what had caught her attention and groaned softly to himself as Crystal started walking towards them.

"Cale, I was wondering if you would be able to meet with me later this evening and give me some more character motivation," she said, completely ignoring Max altogether.

Max arched an eyebrow at the other woman as she casually got up out of her seat.Crystal was a couple of inches shorter than she was, so standing forced the other girl to look up at her._Always try face your enemy from a position of strength, _a voice from her past whispered in her head._When in a face-to-face confrontation, whether physical or verbal, you gain a psychological advantage if your level of attack is physically higher than that of your opponent.If you are unable to achieve a higher level, then make sure that you are on an equal level._"You mean you still don't have the motivation down?" she asked.

Crystal gave her a cold look."Of course I have the motivation down.I'm just looking to bring the character to a more personal level," she replied.

"Then maybe you should work with me instead," Max said."I know the story and Jessica's character motivation just as well as Cale."She looked over at Logan and grinned slightly."Perhaps even better, in some respects."Logan's lips quirked, but he managed to keep a straight face at Max's statement.

"I don't think there's any way you would be able to offer me anything of use," Crystal said.

"Really," Max answered."Then tell me, when Michael gives Jessica the stuffed teddy bear as a gift, why does she initially throw it away?"

"Because she doesn't want to embarrass him by refusing it," Crystal answered.

Max cocked her head to one side."But wouldn't a better motivation be that it's because she somehow knows that if she accepts the gift, then she's starting to admit to herself, somewhere deep down inside, that by accepting it, she is really accepting the fact that she cares about him?"

"It's all a matter of personal interpretation!" Crystal nearly yelled, glaring up at Max.

Max smiled at her."If it's all a matter of personal interpretation, then why would you need Cale to give you motivation?" Max asked with flawless logic."It seems to me that you already have the motivation down."

Crystal's eyes narrowed as she stared at Max, unable to come up with a feasible retort.Angrily, she turned on one heel and stormed up the aisle and out of the auditorium.

Max smiled to herself, then looked down at Logan, who was still seated."I guess she changed her mind," she said wryly.

Logan smiled up at Max, his eyes glowing with approval.Slowly, he stood up and moved closer to her, taking her hand in his own."Thank you," he said quietly, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.

"No big dealio," she replied with a shrug.She didn't let go of his hand as she inched even closer to him.Just being around Crystal put her hackles up, and she felt the sudden need to establish her place in her confusing relationship with Logan.As she looked up into his eyes, she lost herself in a bottomless ocean of blue.The world around her faded; suddenly, nothing mattered except the way he was looking at her right now.A shiver ran up her spine as he began to run his fingers along her wrist and the pad of her thumb.They were standing face-to-face now; so close that she could feel the heat coming off of his body.Her heart was pounding in her chest as he stared down at her.She kept waiting for a little voice to tell her to move away, to escape while she still had time, but strangely enough, the voice was silent.

Logan gazed tenderly into the face that he knew almost better than his own.Her eyes had darkened to a deep, rich coffee color and he was quickly drowning in their depths.His blood raged through his body; much of it settling in his loins.Logan wasn't sure if he was grateful or not, that she didn't seem to be aware of his obvious arousal.Throwing caution to the wind, he reached up and slid his free hand along her cheek.A soft sigh escaped her lips as he let his fingers slip behind her neck and gently caress her barcode.It seemed that the world had slipped into slow motion as the distance between their bodies gradually evaporated."Max," Logan began in a soft voice."I-

The loud sound of laughter suddenly intruded on them as three actors walked onto the stage, obviously on their way to their respective cabins.Immediately, Max and Logan both stepped back, opening the space between them to a more professionally acceptable level.They both nodded in response to a chorus of good-byes as the actors passed them on their way to the lobby.Thankfully, not one seemed to have noticed what their entrance had interrupted.

"C'mon," Max said into the silence that now permeated the auditorium. "Let's head back to the cabin and get something to eat.After dinner, we can go over any areas of the play that you're still having difficulty with."

Logan sighed, resigning himself to yet another lost chance of possibilities."You have no idea how many times I've thanked the fates that you have such a perfect memory.Half the time I can't even read my own notes on what I should be doing or where I should be doing it."

Max laughed."Like I said before, you're doing really well.You'll probably be off book by tomorrow or Thursday."

"I hope you're right."

"Haven't you learned yet that except when I'm wrong, I'm always right."

Logan chuckled."Right.C'mon.I think I hear a couple of steaks calling our names."

"So what are we waiting for?Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~

** **

**Wednesday**

"So tell me, Cale, how long have you and Max known each other?" Davis asked as he finished the beer he held.

Logan looked across the table at his friend and hesitated before answering.They were alone in the backstage conference room, waiting for Debbie to return from picking Alan up at the hospital, so there wasn't any danger of being overheard.Due to the acoustical set-up of the backstage area, they would hear the sound of footsteps long before anyone reached the door.So, instead of congregating with everyone else while they waited for Alan to arrive, they had retreated to the quiet confines of the small room.Max had volunteered to get them all another round of drinks, and had left only seconds before Davis posed his question.

Logan set his own beer down on the table and leaned back in his chair."Just a little over half a year or so," he replied."Why?"

Davis ignored the question."How did the two of you meet?"

Logan smiled to himself in remembrance."Oh, she just dropped in on me one night," he casually replied."I had a statue that had caught her eye, but she ended up leaving without it."

Davis arched an eyebrow, knowing full well that there was much more to that story than was being shared."So how did Max end up having to protect your sorry ass?" he asked."Not that I'm criticizing your choice in bodyguards, but if I recall, some guy named Peter was working for you before."

Logan nodded."Peter was killed shortly after I met Max," he said, answering Davis' second question first."As for Max, she, ah, helps me with some of the projects I work on in exchange for research that she needs done."Logan paused for a moment."It's turned out to be a mutually beneficial business arrangement for the both of us."

"Business arrangement," Davis repeated."Are you trying to convince me of that, or yourself?"When his friend didn't answer, Davis sighed."Don't kid yourself, Logan.I've known her for less than a week, and it's obvious to me that you've fallen hard."He raised a finger to silence Logan's protest."No, hear me out.I think she's good for you.I like her.And it's also obvious that she feels the same way about you.You just aren't able to recognize what you really have here."

"Isn't this the same pep talk you gave me when I told you I was going to marry Valerie?" Logan asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Davis shook his head and leaned forward intently."Nope, this one's a little different.Valerie was trying to climb the social ladder using you as a rung.She wasn't interested in anything beyond where your money could take her.The problem was that you refused to see what was staring you in the face.You're doing the same thing now, but at the complete opposite end of the spectrum."

Footsteps, ending in a brief knock, forstalled Logan's response.Before either man could get to the door, it opened to reveal Max on the other side, drinks in hand along with a small plate of cheese and crackers.Both Logan and Davis stood as she approached the table, but it was Logan that took the bottles from her as she put the food down and settled into the chair next to his.

Due to the way that the conversation in the room had suddenly stopped when she knocked at the door, Max had a sneaking suspicion that she was the topic of choice.She looked back and forth between the two men, but neither one was giving anything away.Logan distributed the drinks between the three of them, then sank back down into his chair.

Leaning back once more, Davis took a long swig of his fresh beer then looked at Max from across the small table."I was just telling Cale how much he has impressed everyone with the way he's thrown himself into the play," Davis said."Jerry was a little concerned at first, but now he's convinced that Cale here is the best thing since denture implants."Davis looked across at Logan and shook his head ruefully."I guess it's a good thing he doesn't know you as well as I do, huh?" he asked, a grin playing at his lips.

"Hey, I was going to eat that!" Max protested as Logan grabbed a piece of cheese out of her hand and threw it at his friend.

Davis laughed."You know, I am definitely going to have to get the two of you down to Hollywood to visit one of these days."He looked over at Max again."I think that you and my wife, Kelli, would hit it off perfectly."

Logan nodded."Either that, or they'd kill each other," he agreed."Kelli is one hundred percent Irish alley-cat, with flaming red hair and green eyes that match her, ah, disposition.She's a little bit of a thing and I actually thought she had good taste in men until she married Davis there."

Davis raised his beer in silent salute and took a large draught."Yeah, I've always wondered about that, too," he said.A loud tumult of shouted salutations suddenly echoed from the front of the stage."I guess Debbie has returned with Alan," Davis said.He stood and picked up the plate of food, motioning to the door with his beer."Let's go join the party."

As the trio returned to the front of the stage, one of the first things that Max noticed was the happy camaraderie between the actors and the crew as they enjoyed the festive atmosphere.It was as if they were all at a family reunion or something.Alan was in the midst of a large crowd, grinning from ear to ear as a plate of food was pressed into his hands, along with liberal doses of kisses and hugs from many of the female party-goers.No one had let the secret out, so he was genuinely surprised to come back to such a warm display of affection.Two tables had been set up to one side of the stage, groaning with the weight of massive amounts of food.Another two smaller tables flanked either end of the spread one containing paper plates, napkins and eating utensils and the other containing two coolers full of beer and soda.Max was silently amazed at the number of people that had turned out at the party.She recognized a good number of the actors, but apart from Davis, who had somehow managed to get pulled away from them, Jerry and Debbie, she realized that she knew only about a handful of the crew.She looked up as Logan touched her elbow, indicating a place for them to sit.

"I'll get us some food and bring it back," he said.

Max nodded, then turned to make her way to their chosen seats.Just as she sat down, she noticed Crystal standing only a few feet away.The older woman studied her for a moment, her expression unreadable, then sauntered over and sat in the empty seat next to her.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Crystal said.

Max looked into the other girl's eyes."And why would that be?" she asked.

Crystal shrugged."Well, I'm sure it's past your bedtime, and I've no doubt that you have so much to do as an assistant to an author…" she trailed off as if a thought had suddenly struck her."Just what is it exactly that you do for Cale, anyway?" she asked.

"Oh, I gather … information and items … that he needs to do his work.Kinda like recon missions," Max replied.

"Really," Crystal said."I would have expected you to be the one who colored in the pictures in the books he's written for children."

Max shook her head and smiled sweetly at Crystal."No, Cale has never written a children's book, which is probably the reason why you've never read any of his work.I'd loan you one, but I think the words might be too hard to understand."

Crystal glared up at Max."I think Cale really needs to find an … assistant … who knows how to respect her betters."

"I'll let you know when I actually meet someone who fits that description."

Angrily, Crystal brought back her hand and swung it at Max's face.Max blocked the slap long before it reached her, twisting around so that Crystal's elbow was firmly locked against the crook of Max's arm.A whimper escaped the other girl's lips as Max slowly applied pressure to the wrong side of the joint.

"I really think you should go visit with someone else, and leave both Cale and I alone.You have an entire career in front of you.You really don't want to mess it up my making me angry, do you," Max casually stated.Crystal shook her head."Good," Max said.Carefully, she stood up, releasing the other girl.Crystal stared darkly at Max, rubbing her elbow.Max returned the stare blankly, letting the cold, hard visage of a killer peek out through her dark eyes.The expression was second nature to her; it was the one that she had worn for most of her childhood years while growing up in the hellhole known as Manticore.Crystal blanched and involuntarily stepped back, eyes wide with apprehension.Without another word, the other woman spun on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.

"Max?" a quiet voice whispered questioningly in her ear.

Max looked up to see Logan standing next to her, a plate of food in one hand.She blinked rapidly, bringing herself back to the present, and then smiled hesitantly at him."Sorry.I was gone for a minute there."

"Yeah, I noticed," he replied.He had caught the tail end of the little drama, right when Max had stopped Crystal from hitting her.He didn't catch Max's whispered words to the other woman, but he had seen the ruthless look of a soldier slide behind her eyes as she stared at Crystal.The same eyes that were staring into his right now, waiting for his condemnation of her actions.He chuckled to himself, noting the look of surprise that flickered across her face."I thought you were supposed to kick her lily-white ass from here to Ontario, not put her in an elbow lock," he said softly.He picked up a slice of cheese and held it out towards her.

Instead of taking it from him, Max captured his hand in hers and bit off a small piece of the offered tidbit."Don't put it past me," she mumbled as she let him feed her a second bite before releasing his hand."I still might do it."

"Which one?"

Max shrugged."Which ever one is needed at the time."

Logan grinned down at her."Knowing you, it'll probably end up being both," he said."C'mon, let's give our regards to Alan before he collapses from sheer overwhelming elation from this party of his."

As Max and Logan made their way through the crowd, Crystal watched the couple from across the room._You little bitch!_ She thought as she massaged her arm again._How dare you threaten me like that!I think its time Cale found out what you really are and when he does, then we'll see where your high-and-mighty attitude gets you._****

~*~*~*~*~*~

Thursday 

"I have no idea where it is!" Logan said."I had it just a couple of minutes ago.I thought I set it down with the rest of our stuff, but it's not there anymore."

"Are you sure you had it with you?"

"Yeah.I remember pulling it out of my bag and setting it down on top of the notes that Jerry gave me last night before the party."

Max frowned as she studied the pile of papers sitting inoffensively in the theatre seat in front of them.They had arrived only moments before, when Logan suddenly realized that his script was missing.He had frantically searched his coat pockets, Max's backpack, and his small binder of papers and notes, all to no avail.

"Maybe it fell out when we were on our way in from the car," she offered."I'll retrace our steps while you keep looking here."Logan nodded absently at her, sifting through their stuff once more as Max slowly made her way back towards the lobby.Her quick eyes scanned the aisle as she walked along it, looking for any sign of a well-used script.Carefully, she traced their exact steps.Once she reached the car, she opened it up and meticulously searched the interior.Nothing.Max sighed and frowned slightly to herself.She pulled up the collar of her coat, more for something to do with her hands than out of need to protect herself against the weather.Truthfully, she was comfortable out of doors in just the mid-sleeve turtleneck sweater and form-fitting jeans that she had tossed on earlier that morning, but there were appearances to uphold.With a slight "Hmph", Max returned to the theatre.

Logan looked up as Max strode up to him, then ran one hand through his short hair when she briskly shook her head."Ok, what did we do when we got here?" he asked.

"We walked into the lobby and stopped to say hello to Debbie, who's still drinking her coffee up there.We came down the middle aisle, stopped to drop off our stuff here, then you went to talk to Davis and I went back up into the lobby to get us some coffee.When I came back, that's when you noticed that your script was missing."

Logan nodded."And when I went to talk to Davis, we were just standing right over there next to the stage."He sighed angrily."I must have left it back at the cabin.Dammit.I was sure that I had it with me this morning."He glared at the messy pile of papers.

"It really doesn't matter, you know.You're pretty much off book, so you shouldn't need the script."

Logan chuckled sardonically."You have too much trust in my abilities," he told her.

"Trust?Me?The cynical 'I don't need anyone' bitch of the northwest?" Max asked with a grin."I think the problem is that you're using that script like a security blanket.Something to hide behind."

"Like a Halloween mask?"A ghost of a smile played at his lips.

"Red, white and blue," she replied."You can do this, Cale.I know you can.You don't need the script," Logan shrugged halfheartedly, refusing to look at her as he gazed at the ground.Max felt her heart constrict.At times like this, he reminded her of a little boy that she just wanted to take into her arms and hold and make silly promises that everything would work out for the better.Instead, she reached out and tapped him beneath his chin, forcing his eyes to meet hers."Listen, I'll go back to the cabin and look around, okay?I shouldn't be gone that long; fifteen, twenty minutes, tops."

Logan smiled down at her."You don't need to go look for it.I'm … I'm sure I'll manage to get along without it."

"I'm sure you would, too, but am I right in thinking that you would feel much better if you did have it?" she asked.He nodded."That's what I thought.I'll be back in a flash."With another smile, Max turned and headed back up the aisle and out of the auditorium.

He watched her until she had vanished through the lobby doors.Sighing, he turned back to search through their things once more, somehow knowing that this effort was as futile as the last one.

Crystal smiled as she watched Nicole hop into the car and head back towards the cabin she shared with Cale.She walked back through the lobby and into the auditorium, absently tapping Cale's script into her palm as she moved.She paused at the top of the long aisle, studying Cale as he tore through his belongings yet again.Silently, she made her way past him, heading for the backstage area.She returned only moments later, empty handed.After a couple more minutes of watching him, she smoothed down her long, velvety green silk shirt.It was loosely belted over a pair of tan, form-fitting jeans.Her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled neatly back, wispy curls framing her face.Slowly, she sauntered over to where Cale was standing.He was so intent on his search that he didn't hear her approach until she delicately cleared her throat from behind him.Startled, he whipped around and stared at her.

"Did you lose something?" she asked, innocently blinking her pale blue eyes at him.

"Uh, yeah.My script seems to have gone missing."

"Do you remember where you had it last?"

"I was sure I had it when Nicole and I arrived," he said.

"Maybe she forgot it," Crystal said."I mean, she's your assistant, and it's her job, but she's awfully young to have such responsibilities like that.She's practically a child, thrust into an adult's world.She's bound to become confused and start making mistakes."

Logan paused.He wasn't willing to get into a discussion about the age difference between he and Max, especially not with Crystal, but her snide comment about Max's competence struck a defensive chord in him."I think Nicole is more than qualified in handling just about anything."

Crystal smiled sweetly at him."It's so good to see someone who has faith in the abilities of their employees."

He sighed."Crystal, was there something you needed me for?"As soon as he said the words, Logan regretted them.

But it was too late to take them back, and Crystal pounced on the question eagerly."Well, yes, now that you mention it.But I figured you for a man who didn't discuss things like that quite as … openly," she replied.

Logan stared at her, but didn't answer.

Crystal chuckled."Don't worry.I just wanted to offer my help with whatever it was you were looking for.Nothing more than that," she paused and looked at him from beneath her lashes."At least, nothing more right now," she finished.

Logan shook his head."Ah, thanks anyway.But I don't need any help searching for my script.I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere."

"I'm sure it will," she agreed."But I've been working with you all week, and I don't think you need the script anymore.Here, sit down next to me."Crystal seated herself and looked up at him expectantly."Don't worry.I just want to go over lines with you.We'll both be sitting in plain sight of everyone, rehearsing our lines like all good actors do."She reached out and patted the seat next to her, smiling innocently at him.

Logan hesitated.She was obviously trying to be helpful, and he did want to go over his lines, but without his script, he was a little lost.Sighing, he sank into the seat next to her.

Crystal smiled brilliantly at him."Great.Let's start from where Jessica and Michael meet for the first time, shall we?"At his nod, she smiled again, well pleased with her success.

The first thing Max noticed when she entered the auditorium was Crystal's head inclined towards Logan's.They were smiling at each other and as she started walking down the aisle, she saw Logan laugh quietly and lean back in his seat.He broke off what he was about to say to the other woman when he finally noticed Max approaching.

"You were right," he said to her without preamble."We've been going over our lines, and I'm actually doing fairly well, even without the script."

Max arched and eyebrow at him and smiled slightly."Well, I guess that's a good thing, because I couldn't find it in the cabin."

Logan shook his head."I have no idea what happened to it," he said."Oh well, I guess it all worked out for the best, right?"

Max nodded.She still didn't like walking back in to find him so involved with the other woman, but all they were doing was running their lines.She had seen the other actors in the play doing the exact same thing.Nothing underhanded or deceitful about it at all.Just because she didn't like them sitting so close together, it didn't mean that something else was going on._But then why do I feel like Crystal has something up her sleeve?_Max wondered.She shook herself out of her reverie as Jerry shouted for all the actors to get into place.

Crystal stood up and absently smoothed down her shirt.She smiled winningly at Logan."You did good.See you up on stage," she said.Without waiting for his reply, she turned and headed for where the other actors were congregating around Jerry.

Logan watched her, a perplexed expression on his face.Shaking his head, he stood up and grabbed his notebook."Thanks for going to look for my script," he told her.

"No big dealio."

"But it is a big deal.I just want to let you know that I appreciate it."

Max smiled at him."You're welcome," she said."I'm glad you really don't need it, though."She cocked her head towards the other actors."Now, you'd better get over there before Jerry starts yelling for you."

Before he could answer, Jerry's voice bellowed out again."Cale, we're waiting."

Logan shrugged."Too late."With another smile for her, Logan turned and made his way to the stage.

** **

"Hey, Nicole, want to go with me to pick up some lunch?" Davis asked her as he headed down the aisle towards the stage.

Max looked over her shoulder at him, then back at the action that was still going on in front of her."Might as well," she replied."Hopefully, they'll break for lunch once this scene is done."She stretched as she rose from the chair."The little Italian deli today?"

Davis raised his hands and shrugged."Sounds good to me," he replied."If we leave now, we'll probably make it back right as they're finishing up."

"Well then, let's go."

"Okay, break for lunch," Jerry called out."We'll get back together in an hour.Don't be late."

As the actors started filing off the stage, heading into the auditorium or back to the kitchen area, Logan looked around for Max.He didn't see her sitting in the theatre, but he was sure he would have noticed if she had gone backstage.After another glance around the rapidly emptying auditorium, Logan moved off the stage and into the wings.He passed through the back door that led to the hall that ran along the back of the stage.As he walked along the corridor, he checked the kitchen and both conference rooms.He even went as far as to check Davis' small office to see if his friend was introducing Max to more skeletons from Logan's closet.Nothing.He ended up in what was formerly Alan's dressing room; now his up through the opening of the play.She wasn't there, either.

"If I recall, think I saw Nicole leaving the theatre with Rich," a voice said from the door behind him.

Logan turned to find Crystal standing in the entryway."What?"

"You're assistant.I think I saw her leaving with Rich, right before we finished that last scene," she repeated."They were probably going to get lunch or something, I'm sure."

"Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense," Logan said.He stared down at the table, wondering how he missed seeing her leave.

"If you like, we could run some more of our lines," Crystal said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Aren't you going to eat lunch?"

Crystal nodded."Yeah, I am.Joey and Kathy went to pick up their lunch, and are bringing me something back.We'll have more than enough time to rehearse a few scenes."

"Here?" Logan asked.

"Sure," she replied.She walked into his dressing room, being very careful to close the door only slightly.It wasn't enough to give the impression that complete privacy was desired, but it was enough to discourage any non-important interruptions."How about we start from where Michael rescues the test soldiers and run it through the end?" she asked.

Logan nodded as he sank into one of the comfortable chairs that decorated the room.Crystal brushed her hair out of her face with an unconscious gesture, sitting down in the chair opposite his."We'll probably need to stand up after a bit, considering how physical the play gets from this point, what with Michael having to help Jessica walk when they escape, but I think we can manage it in here, don't you?"

Absently, Logan looked around the room and nodded."Yeah, it should work out," he said.

Crystal leaned back in her chair, a slight smile on her face."Great.So, let's get started."

Max was laughing at another one of Davis' anecdotes when they walked into the theatre lobby.Several actors were milling around; some were eating their lunches, others were chatting amicably as they lounged in the soft chairs, and yet others were silently mouthing their lines.Davis lead the way through the crowd, his hands full of the food they had picked up.Behind him, Max carried their drinks.They descended into a hushed auditorium._Lunch time is the only time in which the place is quiet enough to hear yourself think,_ Max realized._Any other time, the set crew is still building stuff or the sound crew is testing microphones, or everyone else is rehearsing._She glanced around, looking for Logan, but didn't see him anywhere.

"I think Cale is backstage," Debbie shouted at them from across the theatre.

Max smiled her thanks to the stage manager as she and Davis climbed up on to the stage and headed for the wings.Max heard Logan speaking to someone the minute she stepped into the backstage hallway.His dressing room was at the opposite end of the hall, but her exceptional hearing picked up the timbre of his voice immediately.Frowning, Max realized that he wasn't alone either, as the sound of a second, lighter voice replied to some question that was asked.She started to turn to look back at Davis quizzically, then discarded the notion.There was no way he could have heard the voices, just as there was no way he could know who Logan was speaking to.Silently, Max walked down the hall until she reached Logan's dressing room.The voices were much louder now, but still indistinct.Max reached out and swung open the partially closed door, curious to see if the room's other occupant was whom she believed it to be.

Her instincts were proven correct as Crystal looked up at Max.The other woman was sitting on the floor of Logan's dressing room.He was kneeling next to her, his arm wrapped around her as she slumped against him.Logan blinked at Max, a sudden flush creeping into his face as he realized how his proximity to Crystal could easily be misconstrued as something else entirely.As Max moved into the room, Logan realized that Davis was right behind her.He groaned to himself softly.

"Cale, you really don't have to spend all your time rehearsing," Davis said.

Logan looked up at his friend, instantly realizing that Davis was giving him an out.Even though the situation was entirely innocent, it didn't look that way.At Davis' words, Max's face relaxed slightly.Slowly, Logan released the breath he didn't even know he had been holding.Embarrassed, he grinned at them both."Yeah, you're right," he said."I guess I just want to get the show over with, so I'm trying to hurry it along with all this rehearsing."Pushing himself to his feet, Logan instinctively reached down to give Crystal a hand up

Crystal smiled demurely at Logan and murmured her thanks as she accepted his assistance, but Max caught the brief flicker of triumph that peeked through the other woman's eyes._It's just Logan being a gentleman_, Max sternly told herself as a band seemed to constrict around her heart._He's just being his normal self.His chivalrous, kind, softhearted, idiotic, oblivious-to-the-world-around-him self._She carefully kept her face blank as she met Crystal's eyes, not wanting her to see the self-doubt that lurked within.

Crystal smiled secretly to herself.She hadn't missed the sudden flash of pain that eclipsed Nicole's face when she opened the door.And when Cale helped her to her feet, she saw Nicole's lips tighten almost imperceptibly.Hiding her excitement, Crystal turned to look up at Cale."Well, I'll leave you to your lunch.Joey and Kathy should be back by now, so I'd better go find them before they devour my food as well as their own."She turned to face Nicole and Davis."See ya later."Nodding politely at them both, she walked out of the room.

Max didn't say a word as she set the drinks down on a table.Truthfully, she didn't trust herself not to say something that she might regret later._Who says that I haven't learned how to keep my mouth shut?_ She silently asked herself.Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Davis follow her lead and set his own packages down as well.Taking a deep breath, Max reached over and started doling out the food.She could feel Logan's eyes on her back, but she refused to turn around to look at him."They didn't give us any napkins," she said to no one in particular."I'll go get some."Carefully making sure not to touch Logan on her way out, she scooted past him and headed down the hall towards the kitchen.

Logan sighed as he watched Max leave.He looked over at his friend, but Davis was studiously separating french fries into three neat piles."I suppose I could have handled that better."

Davis nodded."Yep."

"We were just rehearsing.Max should know that."

"I've no doubt that she does."

"Then why do I get the feeling that she's trying very hard not to kill me where I stand?"

He was answered by a brief bark of laughter."I hope you don't expect me to be able to answer that."

Logan frowned."You and Kelli have been married, what, seven, eight years now?"

"Seven."Another french fry was put neatly into place.

"Do you understand her any better now than when you first stated dating her?"

Davis snorted."She's a woman.There is no understanding them, no matter how long you know them."

Logan looked at the door that Max had gone through."But she knows that it was nothing more than just another rehearsal," he said softly, almost to himself.

"Yes, but it was in the privacy of your dressing room and you were rehearsing with a very pretty young woman."Davis finished divvying up the french fries and finally looked at his friend."Usually, when rehearsing one on one like that, without the director or some other third party around, the rehearsals don't get as … physical … as they would up on the stage."

"You're right."Logan sank down into one of the chairs."Not a real smart thing to do, I guess."

"I'm not disagreeing with you."

"Thanks," Logan said dryly.

Davis nodded as Max re-entered the room.She appeared to have gotten over her anger, but she still seemed a little withdrawn as she deposited the napkins in the center of the table.She quickly sat down, absently picking up her sandwich and taking a small bite.

Logan leaned forward and caught her fingers as she reached for a french fry.She looked up into his eyes, her expression carefully neutral."I'd like to go over my lines again when we're done.There's one part at the start of the second act where I'm still a little shaky.Would you help me with it when we're finished with lunch?"

Max recognized the peace offering for what it was; an oblique male attempt of a request of forgiveness.Truthfully, he hadn't done anything that warrented asking for an apology, but he was still doing his best to make amends.Silently, she scolded herself for making more out of the situation than was truly required._It was just another rehearsal, nothing more.Crystal was the one who was trying to make it more than it seemed to be.She is the one I should be angry with, not Logan._Max looked up at him, realizing that she hadn't answered his question.A smile quirked at her lips as she met his gaze from across the table."Yeah, I'll help you, if you want."

Logan smiled, pleased that his roundabout apology had been accepted.He was always tantalized when her mercurial attitude slipped from her iron control.She fought to hide her passion behind a cool façade, but every so often, he was allowed a peek into the fire that burned in her soul.He nodded his thanks as he released her hand.

"Do you need to borrow my script?" Davis asked Max.

She shook her head."No, I know the play."

Davis raised an eyebrow at her and Logan chuckled."Photographic memory," Logan explained."She was off book before I even got started with the damn thing."

"Photographic memory.The ultimate dream of directors everywhere."Davis shook his head ruefully."My problem is that I've worked with too many actors who claim to have a photographic memory, but they're running at the slowest shutter speed possible."

The tension in the room melted away as both Max and Logan chuckled at the sorrowful tone of Davis' voice.Companionably, all three turned their attention back to the most pressing matter at hand: lunch.

** **

"Yeah, this is the right one."Max studied the written directions she held in her hand as Logan pulled up in front of one of the other cabins.Two other cars were already parked in the drive, one of which Max recognized as belonging to Alan."I think the other car belongs to Leslie, the wardrobe manager," she told Logan."I remember hearing someone say that she's taking care of him while he recovering."

"Well, that makes sense, I guess."Logan parked the car and looked across at Max.She was a dim figure in the darkness of the car's interior.He could feel her gaze as she turned to look back at him."He's supposed to be on bed rest through this weekend, so he would need someone to help him with meals and such."Logan exited the car and walked around the vehicle to open the door for Max."Although I'm sure he's probably going stir-crazy by now.I know I would be."

She nodded in agreement as she got out of the car."Well, hopefully another pair of visitors will cheer him up.And it's not like we're here empty-handed, either."The couple had stopped at a bakery on their way over to Alan's cabin.After much deliberation, they had finally agreed to bring him a fresh peach pie.Max had never had that particular kind of pie before, but Logan promised that she would enjoy it.When she had questioned if the pie was going to be as good as a peach pie that he would have made, Logan had grinned and replied that it probably wouldn't even be close.

Light spilled out the front door as it was opened in response to Logan's knock.A slim young woman with light brown hair and cheerful eyes stood before them, a questioning look on her face as she eyed her visitors.Max's assumption had proved to be correct; the driver of the other car was indeed Leslie.

Logan flashed her a brilliant smile."Hey.We thought we'd stop by and see how Alan was doing."

Leslie smiled in response."He's doing great, but come on in and see for yourself."She backed away from the door to let them enter."Hey, Alan.Cale and Nicole are here to see ya."

As Max and Logan walked into the living room, they saw Alan sitting on the loveseat, a wide smile on his face.He got up carefully and made his way over to greet his guests."Hey there, how's it going?Rehearsals coming along ok?Leslie told me that you're off book.That's pretty impressive, considering you had less than a week to learn everything."

"The only reason I'm off book is because I can't find it anywhere."

Alan chuckled."Ah, then you didn't have much of a choice, did you?"He laughed as Logan shook his head."Well, don't stay standing there, sit down.Lez and I just finished dinner, so your timing is perfect."

"More than perfect."Max held up the pie they had brought with them."We have dessert."

Alan sank back into the couch and sighed.Max and Leslie had just finished cleaning up from the remains of their little feast, and had rejoined the men in the living room.Leslie and Alan were stationed on the loveseat, with Logan and Max perpendicular to them on the large couch.Alan's cabin was much along the same vein as Logan's, albeit smaller.A roaring fire crackled and popped, filling the room with warmth.The four of them had conversed on a variety of topics; from the freak snowstorm that had hit Vancouver the week before (and subsequently melted almost immediately) to the lack of continuity and believability in tv shows piped out of Hollywood to the extreme boredom generated by forced convalescence.The conversation had finally started to filter down, leaving them in a companionable silence.

"I'm going to come to the theatre tomorrow," Alan suddenly announced."I'm interested in seeing at least one of the dress rehearsals."

Leslie frowned."You're supposed to be on bed rest until Sunday."

"I'll take it easy, I promise.I just can't stand being cooped up here anymore.I need to get out."

"If you get tired, you can always lie down in the dressing room," Logan offered.

Alan nodded eagerly."Yeah.I'll just use the excuse that I want to help you with your lines or something."

"Better you than Crystal," Max muttered under her breath.

Logan looked over at Max and smiled as Alan started laughing.The younger man looked back at Logan with a grin."Is Crystal still trying to foist herself on you?"

"Oh, you could say that," Max replied, glancing over at Logan.

"I'll bet she was overjoyed to hear that Rich wanted you to play Michael," Alan said."I've known her for too long to get caught up in her mechanisms anymore.Watch out for her, Cale.She can be very … determined … when she wants to be."

Logan shrugged."She seems to have backed off lately.I think I've finally gotten the message across that I'm not interested."

Max snorted derisively and changed the subject."Well, it's late and we should really get going.See you tomorrow?"

Alan nodded."Wouldn't miss it for the world."

~*~*~*~*~*~


	5. Dress Rehearsal

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Author's Note:** As always, Thank You to Heather and Meg for beta'ing this for me.

****Thank you, Meg, for asking for all those "sensory details" that force me to become even more verbose, for wanting to see the sightseeing tour and for the "three month" rule.

Thank you, Heather, for keeping me honest about Vancouver geography (well, as honest as you can), your enjoyable commentary on this fic, our wonderful converasations, and for letting me beta your fic "New World, Old Ghosts" (hey, there's a plug for ya!)

You two are the BEST!!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 5 - Dress Rehearsal

Logan stood staring out the living room window, lost in thought as he sipped his coffee.The morning had dawned bright and clear; a sure sign that the day was going to be beautiful.He was wearing a snug pair of faded jeans, accompanied by a faded "Yale" sweatshirt over a lighter button down shirt.The day would probably warrant a coat later, but Logan didn't feel like dragging one to the theatre.A faint sound made him glance away from the window and towards the stairs that led to the second floor.He smiled as he saw Max sitting at the top of the stairs, watching him.She was wearing a loose flannel shirt over a pale blue skin-tight t-shirt that was tucked into a faded pair of blue jeans.Her face was framed by several dark curls that had worked their way free of the ponytail that confined the rest of her hair.

"How long have you been sitting there?" he asked, reluctant to break the early morning peace.

"Not long.You just looked like you were lost in thought, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Not lost in thought really, just …. thinking."

"Isn't that kinda the same thing?"

Logan chuckled."Yeah, I guess it is."He took another sip of the steaming coffee."I don't think I'm ready for this, Max."

She didn't need to ask what he meant.She stood up and slowly started down the stairs towards him."But you're already doing it, Logan.Watching you up there is amazing.I mean, I know it's you up there, but at the same time, it's Captain Michael MacArren."She smiled at his dubious expression."Think of it … think of it like when you're doing a cable hack."

He looked at her questioningly."A cable hack," he repeated.

She nodded earnestly, stopping on the bottom step so that her eyes were level with his."Right.When you do an Eyes Only hack, you become Eyes Only, right? It's still you, but when you talk about it to me or Bling, you always talk about Eyes Only in the third person.As if Eyes Only were a different person entirely.It's the same premise here."

"I don't know, Max.Eyes Only is anonymous and safe.Getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people is much more personal.If I make a mistake or mess up a line, I can't hit the rewind button and do it all over again.

"But those hundreds of people aren't watching Logan Cale or Cale Anson.They're watching Michael MacArren.And if Michael MacArren makes a mistake or messes up a line, they aren't going to know it.They're going to think that it's all part of the play."

He chuckled."Yeah, I guess."

"Logan, you don't have anything to worry about.You're doing wonderfully.You're going to have the audience bawling in the aisles when Jessica dies in Michael's arms."She cocked her head to one side and looked at him."Besides, it's only one night.It'll be over before you know it."

Logan shook his head and sighed."I hope you're right."

Max smiled."Of course I am."She stepped off of the bottom step and moved towards the window he had been staring out earlier."We still have a few hours before we have to be at the theatre…" she let the thought trail off as she looked out onto the empty street.

Logan watched her watching the world outside their window.She was silhouetted in the morning light, outlined by a golden glow that danced across the room with each movement of her body.He moved up behind her, aching with the desire to wrap his arms around her small waist and pull her back into his embrace.He was inches away from her, the scent of her hair and heat of her body invading his senses.Refusing to give in to the primal urge that enveloped him, Logan forced his hands to remain still.He closed his eyes, silently praying for the strength to get through these next few days spent in such close proximity to Max.Although he couldn't prove it, he had no doubt that Davis intentionally set up the housing arrangement just to torment him.With a soft sigh, Logan opened his eyes again and looked at the woman in front of him.She was still staring out the window and with a start, Logan realized that the flannel shirt she was wearing was one of his.One that had gone missing several months ago, if he recalled correctly.

"Nice shirt," he said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Max turned around to look at him, eyes wide with feigned innocence.

He shook his head."Don't give me that look."

A slow grin started to spread across her face."It's a very comfortable shirt."

"I know.I wondered where it had disappeared to."

"It's the three month rule."

"The what?"

"The three month rule," she repeated."If you haven't noticed it missing in three months, it's no longer yours."

"Funny.I don't remember that being one of the rules of acquisition."

"Possession is nine-tenths of the law."

"Why does it not surprise me to hear you say that."He paused and tried to affect a stern expression."So tell me, how many other articles of my clothing have you absconded with?"

"Absconded?Do people still use words like that?"

"You're avoiding the question."

Max cocked her head to one side and looked at Logan, a grin playing at her lips."Have you noticed anything else missing?"

"Am I going to have to take an inventory when we get home or should I just search your luggage now?"

Max chuckled."I think this is the only shirt of yours that I have."

"That you have, period, or that you have with you?"

"I think I'm going to take the fifth, now."

"Mmm-hmm.That makes me wonder how many times you've invaded my closet."

"Logan, I'm wounded."

"Sure you are," Logan smiled slightly.Truth was, he wasn't really upset with the fact that she was wearing his shirt.In fact, it gave him a warm feeling inside._She raided my closet for a shirt that she's seen me wear before.That's something that a girlfriend would do.Does Max consider herself-?_He broke off the thought with a snort._Yeah, right, Cale.Go pull the other one._He met Max's gaze and chuckled.It wasobvious that she had no intent of returning his shirt to him."Well, at least I know where to find it the next time I want to wear it," he said.

Max pulled the shirt tight around her body.She didn't remember exactly when she had taken it, but she remembered why.Logan's scent.He had been wearing the shirt over a light tank-top, and had discarded it for his workout session with Bling.He hadn't even noticed when she almost instinctively slipped it into her backpack.She didn't know what had possessed her to bring it on this trip.She knew he would recognize it._Maybe I will give it back to him_, she thought to herself.She closed her eyes and gathered the collar up to her nose, inhaling deeply_.His scent has almost worn off.I'll let him keep it for a while, then take it back again_.She looked up at Logan, her eyes dancing with humor."Sure," she said."Come on over any time you want to wear it.I'll get it when I want it back."

Logan rolled his eyes heavenward, as if to ask for guidance, and changed the subject."Well, like you said before, we still have a few hours before we have to be at the theatre.I was thinking that after breakfast, we would go into town and just walk around, maybe do some shopping and some sightseeing.Sound good?"

'You mean we're actually going to play tourist on this vacation?"She smiled as Logan nodded."Sounds great to me.Let's get started."

*******

Max and Logan arrived at the theatre about mid-morning, flushed and red-cheeked from their early morning jaunt.They had managed to pack what would normally have been almost a full day of sightseeing into just over three hours, although a good portion of the time was spent traveling into the city itself.Their first stop was at Stanley Park.Even though they were in the middle of March, the park's stately Western Red Cedars were impressive.It was as if they had crossed over into another realm, as a quiet hush embraced the couple.Silently, almost reverently, Max and Logan had wandered through the ancient rainforest.As they had approached the first of the majestic totems, their steps slowed to a snail's pace.A sense of peace and tranquility had stolen over them as they gazed at the massive structure, its paint faded from neglect to a muted gray. The blank eyes of the totems glared at them, silent watchers of the passing years.It was as if this portion of the world had been left untouched by The Pulse, although what had once been a well-groomed park was now wildly overgrown as it slowly reverted to its natural state.Personally, Max decided that she liked the natural setting; it was almost as if the totems were once again keeping sentinel over their native villages.They had finished their stroll through the park in near silence; neither one of them wanting to disturb the fragile spell instilled in their hearts.

The next stop had been Granville Island.Eagerly, Max had dove into the throng of people that packed the open-air market, dragging Logan behind her.They feasted on egg rolls and noodles from one streetside vendor and ice cream from another.Logan had been highly amused to realize that Max wasn't perfect after all as he watched her fight with the chopsticks that the first vendor had handed her.Apparently, Chinese cuisine wasn't a staple of the Manticore Dining Menu.They had barely touched the outskirts of the area before it was time to head back to the theatre.After agreeing that they would need to return to the area for a real vacation, Max and Logan had headed back to the theatre.

With the exception of the stage crew, who were busily putting the final touches on the set, the theatre was fairly empty.There were a total of five different background settings, one of which took up almost the entire stage.There were two different office settings; both were small and were illuminated byonly a portion of the stage lights.The bunkhouse set was nothing more than three plywood walls and twelve cots.It actually took up a good portion of the stage, despite the fact that it was so sparsely decorated.The laboratory set and medical center set were actually the same set, just reversed.It was the largest of all the sets, as most of the action took place in one of the two settings.Medical equipment, that did nothing more than light up and beep quietly, was scattered throughout the set, giving it the impression that it was a hub of activity.The final set was the tannery, where Jessica and Michael hid from her captors.It only took up half the stage, but the muted lighting gave it a sense of depth and hidden shadows.The stage itself had a large, rotating section that the actors used to simulate long distances, when in actuality, they were running or walking in place.It was very impressive and Max had grinned in amazement the first time she had seen it used.

Max followed Logan through the side door and into the wings.Jerry and Debbie both looked up as the pair approached.

"Have you seen Leslie for a final fitting?" Jerry asked.

"I'm supposed to meet with her after lunch," Logan responded.

Jerry nodded."Good, good.We're going to do a quick run through in about ten minutes, so do whatever it is that you need to do to get ready."

Logan nodded, but Jerry had already turned his attention back to Debbie.The couple made their way to Logan's dressing room to deposit their stuff, then headed back out towards the stage.The auditorium was no longer empty; there were about thirty actors total in the play and all of them were now scattered throughout the auditorium.Max and Logan settled themselves in the third row from the stage and watched as the crew reset for the first scene.

"Looks like they finally found Brad another chair to sit in," Logan commented, with a slight grin.Brad was the actor who was playing Logan's commanding officer.Several rehearsals ago, the chair he had been sitting in collapsed beneath him in the middle of a scene.Once all the laughter had died down, one of the stagehands had given him a milk crate to sit on for the rest of the rehearsal.Unfortunately, the milk crate was so low to the ground, it made Brad look like a child sitting at an adult's desk.The first time Brad had sat on the crate, Logan hadn't been able to look at him without laughing, and ended up saying all his lines to the wall.Brad stood for the remaining rehearsals, although the crayons and coloring book that some prankster had left on his desk were still there.

As the last stagehand walked off, Jerry walked onto the stage."Okay, people.We're going to do one run through, then break for lunch.Let's get going."

Logan stood up and smiled his thanks as Max handed him his cane."See ya later."

*******

Logan sat with Max and Alan in his dressing room, going over last minute notes and observations Alan had made while watching the morning's rehearsal.All in all, Alan had been very impressed with Logan's performance, especially considering how little time he had been given to learn everything.Logan had mentioned that he was still unsure about the final scene between Michael and Jessica, so Alan had suggested that he and Max do the scene right there.He was watching the scene unfold when a thought suddenly occurred to him.Once the couple had finished, Alan voiced his concern."Cale, have you ever done a stage kiss?"

Logan turned around and looked at Alan, a confused expression on his face."A what?"

"A stage kiss.It's a closed-mouth kiss that's used in theatre productions like this one.The reason I'm asking is because you're going to need to know how to do one in this last scene."

Logan shrugged, slightly embarrassed."I just figured I'd kind of turn my back to the audience and …" He trailed off as Alan shook his head.

"Uh, well, that won't work.Especially not with Crystal." Alan snuck a look at Max, who arched an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue."Crystal is.. well, her nickname is 'The Tongue' if that tells you anything.I'm willing to bet that she's counting on you not knowing how to do a stage kiss."Alan grinned at him."Just be thankful that we're not doing a movie, or some futuristic sci-fi tv show.Kissing in those mediums is a little different, because usually the camera is right in your face and if you do a closed-mouth kiss, it's really obvious."

Logan grimaced and walked over to the table Alan was sitting at."Great.Something to look forward to."_Why did I ever let Davis talk me into this?I don't know if I can kiss another woman with Max around, watching me, even if it is just a play._Sighing heavily, he pulled out a chair and sank into it."So just how does one do a 'stage kiss' and make it look real in theatre?" he asked.

"Well, you have to remember, that the audience will always be at least ten feet away.In a theatre like this one, we have the orchestra pit.We don't have an orchestra, but we have the pit, so they'll be even farther away.For this scene, Jessica is facing Michael, like you two just were.Right after he finishes his last line, he pulls her into his arms and kisses her." Alan carefully and painfully stood up and moved to the area that Logan had just vacated."Here, I'll show you what I mean."

Without another word, Alan knelt down next to where Max was sitting on the floor and pulled her into his arms.She was so surprised by his sudden action, that she didn't protest being the guinea pig for his little demonstration._After all_, she thought to herself._I don't think Logan would appreciate Alan's effort if he were up here instead of me._She turned her attention back to Alan, who was continuing his explanation.

"You two will be facing each other, like this.When you go to kiss her, just remember to close your mouth at the last moment.The way this scene is staged, you won't have the option to turn away from the audience, because this is the kiss that they've been waiting for all night.You're not taking your time with the kiss, either.Once you've said that last line, there's no hesitation when you lean close to kiss her.Just remember to use your downstage arm for around her waist.That way, you're not blocking the kiss from the audience.It's like this."Alan closed his eyes for a moment, released Max, and took a deep breath.When he opened his eyes, his right arm snaked around Max's waist as he pulled her close once more.He smiled softly as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you.You are the other half of my soul, now and forever." As Alan finished the line, he bent his head towards Max and pressed his lips to hers.

Even though he knew that the kiss was just a demonstration for his benefit, Logan felt a surge of jealousy nearly overwhelm him._It's not a real kiss.It's just a stage kiss .She's not really kissing him back.It's just a stage kiss._Logan's thoughts whirled through his head as he watched Alan and Max.Angry at his own jealousy, Logan forced himself to watch the technique of the kiss as if he were watching from the audience's perspective, instead of just reacting to it._Ok, keep my right arm on her waist so I don't block the view.Isn't he done, yet?Why the hell does she look like she's enjoying it?Right arm down, head tilted towards the audience.Enough, already!_

After what seemed to have been an eternity, Alan broke away from Max."See?Nothing to it.The idea is to make it look real.Now, you try."Alan let go of Max and returned to his chair_._"Run the scene from the top of Michael's monologue."

Logan slowly returned to kneel next to Max._It's just a stage kiss.Don't think about how much you want to hold her in your arms forever.Just do the scene, like you've been doing it all along.Pull her close to you, look into her eyes-_

"Cale?Oh, there you are," Davis knocked briefly on the door before striding into the room.He paused for a moment and studied the scene before him, then grunted softly to himself.Max was sitting on the floor with Logan kneeling next to her.He had one arm around her back as she slumped against him."Huh.Sorry to interrupt your rehearsal, but I need you over in Leslie's sewing room to try on your costume."He turned and pointed an accusatory finger at Alan."You should be in your cabin, in bed.Doctor's order of bed rest doesn't do anyone any good if you're here."

"I'm taking it easy, Rich.Cross my heart.I was bored senseless at the cabin.At least here, I can give my expert advice to my temporary replacement," Alan gestured at Logan.

Davis snorted."Cale can get into trouble easily enough without you coaching him, Alan," he replied."Here's a key to my office.Get your butt down there, lock yourself in, lie down on to the couch and get yourself some sleep.No one will disturb you there and I'll come get you when we're ready for the dress rehearsal, okay?"

Alan nodded at Davis and slowly made his way out the door.Davis turned his attention back to Logan."Now, you ready to go turn yourself into Captain Michael MacArren?"

Logan stood in front of the mirror in the sewing room and tried not to flinch as the young wardrobe manager, Leslie, added the finishing touches to his costume.He caught Max's gaze in the mirror and smiled slightly as she winked at him.The uniform was dark blue in color with gold piping and, once the alterations had been made, fit Logan perfectly.Alan matched Logan in height, but Logan was broader in the chest and shoulders.Davis grinned to himself as he remembered Max's look of possessive pride when Leslie commented on the difference between the two men.Leslie stepped back to cast a critical eye on her handiwork, then turned a questioning eye to Davis.

Watching Logan preen himself in front of the mirror, Davis nodded his approval."Wonderful job, Lez.If I didn't know better, I would swear that it had been originally made for him."

Leslie smiled her thanks at the compliment."I'm just glad that Cale and Alan are close enough in stature that I didn't have to create an entire new outfit," she replied.She looked up at Logan and grinned at him."I would have been in trouble if you were anymore bulked up."Logan grinned back at her and flexed one arm in an old style he-man pose.The sound of ripping cloth echoed through the room, followed quickly by Leslie's shriek of dismay.She leapt forward to examine the damage, ignoring Logan's stammered apologies and Max's snort of laughter."No, no, it's all right.Better now than onstage tomorrow evening.I'll just let out the seam to give you some more room."Within seconds, Leslie had the shirt off Logan and was pinning it back together.She waved away his further attempts to apologize as she shooed the trio out the door.The soft _whhrrr_ of the machine followed them down the hall as they retreated to Logan's dressing room.

"Nice little demo there, Cale," Davis commented dryly as they entered the room.

Logan blushed slightly. _Way to go, Cale.You let Leslie's comments go to your head, try to impress Max , and end up having her laugh at you.Yep, real smart thing to do._Davis cleared his throat, interrupting Logan's train of thought.

"There was only one thing I saw wrong when you put on the uniform, though." Davis looked at Logan, stroking his bearded chin thoughtfully.He looked over at Max and arched an eyebrow at her.Immediately, she caught his meaning and smothered a grin.

"What's that?" Logan asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"The hair is ok, but military officers don't usually sport a five o'clock shadow."Logan's hand went to his chin as Davis' words sank in."You're gonna have to loose the scruff, Cale.You do own a razor, don't you?" Davis asked.

"Something I've always wondered," Max muttered to herself.

"You've never complained about my beard before." Logan looked over at her, completely forgetting about Davis' presence.

"We've never been in a situation where it mattered," Max shot back with a smile, not one to leave a challenge unmet.

Logan slowly walked over to her and bent in close to her face. "And in what kind of situation_would _it matter?" Logan grinned wickedly at her._What the hell are you doing?_ An internal voice screamed in alarm.He ignored it.Seeing Alan kiss Max earlier made him recklessly want to establish his claim on the young woman, regardless of the consequences.He leaned in closer so that his whiskers brushed along her smooth cheek. "Or should I be down lower?" he murmured in her ear, throwing all thoughts of caution to the wind.

"Lo- Cale!" Max gasped, half-shocked, half-aroused at his insinuation._Did he mean what I think he meant?Oh, God, don't go there, Max._She blinked rapidly as image after image assaulted her overactive imagination.She could feel the blood rush into her cheeks as she blushed, knowing that Logan knew exactly where her thoughts had taken her.Logan's eyes twinkled in devilish delight as he watched the play of emotions cross her face.

_What has gotten into him?_Max wondered._He's never like this, especially in front of_ o_ther people.Is this because Alan kissed me?If so, I should've found some guy to kiss me in front of him ages ago. _She placed her hands against his bare chest and took a deep, shuddering breath as she banished the mental images created by Logan's suggestive whisper.Once she had calmed her mind (and her libido), she looked up into Logan's face.He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as Davis cleared his throat, breaking the spell.

"Much as I hate to break up the foreplay, I am forced to remind the both of you that rehearsal is going to start in about forty-five minutes.Leslie should be finished with your shirt by then, but you still have to shave, Cale."

Logan, suddenly remembering his friend's presence, nodded in agreement and reluctantly backed away from Max."I guess I'll do it now."

Davis grinned at his friend."It's not the end of the world.It'll grow back before you know it."

"Yeah, yeah."

Davis chuckled and opened the dressing room door."Much as I'd love to stay and see the de-bearding, I have a million things to do.I'll see you two later."Without waiting for a goodbye, Davis left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Logan sighed resignedly and disappeared into the small bathroom that was attached to the dressing room.Quietly, Max followed him to the open door.The bathroom was actually a little larger than the one she and Cindy shared back at home, but was still smaller than the guest bath in Logan's penthouse.The first thing that was to be seen through the open door was the commode.Next to the commode was a shower stall; it's door set at an oblique angle that was actually parallel to the opposite corner of the room.Immediately inside the door, a short counter ran along one wall, ending in a sink that butted up next to the shower.Max leaned against the doorframe as she watched Logan take off his glasses and start to lather up.Absently, she wished that it was her hands spreading the smooth shaving cream along his cheeks.She was mesmerized at the play of muscles in his chest and back as he carefully slicked the razor along his skin, pausing only to rinse the blade.Her eyes followed his every movement, thoroughly enjoying the chance to openly gaze at him.

Finally, Logan wet a small hand towel and wiped the remaining lather from his face.He turned to her with a questioning look. "Did I miss anywhere?"

Max moved closer to him and examined his cheeks and neck carefully. "Yeah, right here." She placed a finger along one side of his neck. "Want me to get it for you?"

Mutely, Logan handed her the razor and shaving cream and watched her as she sprayed a small amount onto her fingers and reached up to gently smooth the lather on his neck.She started to lean towards him with the razor, then backed away, a slight frown marring her features.The bathroom didn't offer a lot of space for freedom of movement, and from where she was standing, Max wasn't able to reach the area that Logan missed.Without a word, she hoisted herself onto the bathroom counter, grabbed his belt, and pulled him towards her so that he ended up neatly sandwiched between her knees.Satisfied with her new eye-to-eye vantage point, Max reached out and lightly ran the razor along his neck.Two swift strokes later, she rinsed the blade and set it down on the sink.She picked up the towel he had used earlier, wiped the residual lather off his neck, and then ran her fingers over the area she had just tackled.

"That side is clean now, but it looks like you nicked yourself on the other side."

Logan looked over Max's shoulder into the mirror and grimaced.He took the towel from her and dabbed at the small cut. "Yeah, I got myself, all right."

"Do you have anything to put on it?"

"It's already stopped bleeding," he replied. "But if you want to kiss it and make it better…." He let the thought trail off and looked at her wickedly.Inwardly, he groaned._Oh God, did I just say that?_

Max returned the look, her face serious. "Logan, a kiss has no medicinal value whatsoever."

He flashed her a challenging grin. "No, but the psychological value is incredible."

Max stared at Logan, slightly surprised at the transparentness of his statement.He was teasing her; goading her to accept his challenge._Well, two can play at this game._Her lips quirked in a slight smile as she slowly reached up to lay one hand flat against Logan's cheek.She let her fingers trace the line of his jaw until she was able to cup his chin in her hand.She tilted his head slightly away from her, giving her better access to his neck.Her hand slid down to his shoulder to steady herself as she leaned in towards him.

He could feel her breath on his neck as she moved closer and closer to him, and the sensation was making his blood slowly start to boil.With a soft sigh, Logan closed his eyes in anticipation of her lips touching his skin in a light kiss.His eyes flew back open in shock as he felt her trace a wet, hot line up his neck with her tongue.His breath caught in his throat as her tongue alternated between quick, darting flicks and long, lazy swirls.Convulsively, his hands closed on her thighs, then slowly slid to her back as he pulled her in closer towards him.A groan escaped him as Max gently bit his neck.

Max could feel his chest heaving, his breath coming in ragged gasps, as she continued to nibble, lick and suck at his neck.Somewhere along the way, she had lost sight of her intent to do nothing more than answer his challenge.All that mattered now was the man in her arms and the taste of his skin in her mouth.Her breasts were crushed up against his bare chest; her arms and legs were locked around him as she buried her face in his neck.She could feel his growing erection pressed hard against her and the knowledge that she was its cause was intoxicating.She nibbled his neck one last time, then gently placed a kiss over the area she had been tormenting.Turning his head slightly, Logan's mouth started its descent towards hers.

"Heeellllloooo?Cale, honey, are you here?" Crystal's voice cut through their passion like a bucket of ice water.

Max's head snapped around with a gasp, leaving Logan kissing a mouthful of her hair.He pulled back from her slightly, but didn't let her go as he reached out, slammed and locked the bathroom door.Max suppressed a delighted smile as she caught his muttered curses at Crystal and her "goddamn shitty timing".Slowly, she tried to disengage herself from around Logan's body, but the small size of the bathroom, as well as the fact that Logan didn't seem to have any intention of letting her go, prevented her from moving very far away.He smiled at her, his eyes still dark with desire, and started to say something when Crystal knocked at the bathroom door.

"Cale?Are you in there?Leslie gave me your shirt to bring back to you.She also said that she's almost finished with the pants and that you'll be able to pick them up in about five minutes."Crystal's voice dropped down to a sultry whisper as she leaned against the closed door."I told her she could have the pants, but I wanted what was in them," she purred.

Max arched an eyebrow at Crystal's unsubtle remark.Logan rolled his eyes and made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat."Hang on, Crystal.I'll be out in a bit," he said.

"Cale, are you all right?You sound like you're out of breath."

Max placed one hand against Logan's bare chest, interested to see if his heart rate was still accelerated due to her earlier ministrations.She ran one finger down the center of his chest to his flat stomach and then back up to his chest, listening to his heart start to speed up once more.Looking up, she was immediately lost in his eyes.Their normal color had deepened to a midnight blue that defied all rational thought.Max was unable to tear her gaze away as Logan slowly brought her hand to his mouth, his fingers intertwined with hers.A small gasp escaped her lips as he touched the tip of his tongue to the palm of her hand, then proceeded to move to her wrist and up her arm with a series of small, hot kisses.

"Cale!Answer me.Open this door.Are you hurt?I hear groaning."Crystal rattled the doorknob in frustration.

Logan smiled to himself, pleased to elicit such a reaction out of Max.A quick glance at her face showed him that she had covered her mouth with her free hand, in an attempt to stem the whimpers of pleasure that Crystal had overheard.He turned his attention back to the inside of her elbow, biting gently on her soft skin.

Outside of the bathroom, Crystal had her ear pressed against the door, straining to hear what was going on in the small room.She jumped around guiltily when Davis cleared his throat from behind her.

"Oh, Rich.I'm glad you're here.I think Cale's hurt, and the bathroom door is locked."

"Hurt?"Davis asked, a note of concern obvious in his voice.

"Yes, I heard moaning and he won't answer me," Crystal responded.

Davis looked at the closed bathroom door and fought the desire to smile."Ahh, well.I think he's fine, Crystal.Really.There's nothing to worry about."

"But he sounded like he was gasping for air, and then I heard groaning."

A quick burst of laughter forced its way out of his throat before he was able to compose himself."Trust me on this one, Crystal," Davis said.

"But-"

The sound of the bathroom door opening cut her protest short.A bare-chested Logan stood in the doorway, face slightly flushed, as he regarded the pair standing in front of him.

"Cale, are you-" before Crystal could finish her question, Logan turned slightly and ushered Max out of the bathroom.Crystal's mouth snapped shut as she glared at Max, turned on her heel, and marched out of the dressing room.

Davis regarded his friend silently, his eyes shining with suppressed mirth.Logan met his gaze steadily, a slightly satisfied smile on his lips."Beard's gone," he announced.

Davis nodded."So I'd noticed.Funny thing, though.I don't remember hickies being one of the dangers of shaving," he said with a wide grin."See you on stage in ten minutes."

As Davis walked out of the dressing room, Logan looked over at Max, one hand lightly touching the area just above his collarbone where Max had kissed his neck.Her eyes widened as he turned towards her, telling him that Davis' observation was accurate.She bit her lip as her eyes met his.

"Oops."

Thankfully, Max's little addition to Logan's costume was low enough on his neck that the collar of Logan's uniform covered the purpling bruise.Leslie had smirked when she had handed him his newly sewn shirt, but she hadn't said a word.As Logan and Max walked into the auditorium, Davis grinned at the couple, absently rubbed his neck, then returned his attention to his conversation with Jerry.

Max chuckled."He's not going to let you live this one down, is he?" she asked.

"Probably not," Logan sighed."I've no doubt that this will show up in his repertoire of 'Cale' stories in the near future."

"Exactly how many 'Cale' stories does he have?"

"Too many.But most of them are about my brother, Gideon, so they probably wouldn't interest you any."

"Uh huh," Max responded."And should I confirm this with Davis?

Logan grinned at Max."No," he replied.Max smiled back at him, then turned her attention to the busy auditorium.It was a scene of barely controlled chaos.The lights on the stage were flicking on and off, microphones were being tested over the sound system, and final additions were being made to the set.In the middle of it all, Davis was having an animated conversation with Jerry, both of them oblivious to the pandemonium going on around them.

Finally, Davis nodded at Jerry and made his way to the front of the auditorium and on to the stage.The noise quickly subsided as Davis looked out over the assembled group."Ok, people.This is it.We're going to do a straight run through of the show and see if we can't beat this morning's time by another fifteen minutes.Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, we're not going to have any rehearsals at all, so this is it.We have a good show here, folks.Let's do it like we're going to do it tomorrow night." Davis looked around at the sea of faces and smiled."Good.Two minutes 'till curtain."

"Well, I guess I'd better get up there," Logan said.He stared at the stage in front of him and didn't move.

Max looked over at him."Logan?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," he replied, without moving an inch from his seat.

"You aren't moving."

"I know."

"Is something wrong?"

"I really don't want to do this," Logan replied.

"You're going to do fine.You've done this a hundred times already.This time isn't any different."

Logan sighed deeply."You're right.I'm going."He reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze as he stood up.Slowly, as if he were walking to his own execution, Logan made his way backstage.Max smiled to herself as she watched him go.As the house lights flickered, a bag of popcorn was dropped unceremoniously into her lap.She looked up into the smiling face of Alan as he handed her a drink and settled himself down in the seat next to her.

"Concession isn't open, but I swiped a bag from Rich's office," he said.

Max smiled back at him conspiratorially."I won't tell a soul," she said.As she spoke, the house lights flickered again, then slowly lowered until the entire auditorium was dark.Silently, the curtains opened and the stage was bathed in light.Max smiled as Logan walked crisply on to the stage, his cane tapping lightly on the hardwood floor, and settled back to watch the play unfold.

*******

As the lights came back up in the theatre, Max leaned back in her seat.The play had run through without a hitch, although Alan had chortled to himself at the look of disgust on Crystal's face when she realized that she wasn't going to be able to dominate the kiss.Max had just smiled smugly to herself.Crystal was a good enough actress that her disappointment wasn't obvious unless you were looking for it, and Max was definitely looking for it.After the cast had finished with their curtain calls, Jerry and Davis walked to the front of the auditorium and on to the stage.Davis leaned back against the wall of the tannery set as Jerry faced the group of people settled in front of him.

"Well done, everyone.We have a tight show, and I'd like to thank everyone for all their effort."He consulted his clipboard, then looked back up."I'd like to see the three search party guys after we're done here.Other than that, I don't have any more notes."He turned to look at Davis."Do you have anything to add?"

Davis nodded and moved forward."Tomorrow is a sold-out show."He grinned as he saw Logan bury his head in his hands with a groan."I have VIP seating tickets, four each, for any friends and family you want to invite.If you need more than four, let me know.Cast call is at six tomorrow, and the show starts at eight.The press has been invited to the show and will be at the opening night party afterwards, as will the usual Hollywood jackals."He smiled as a few chuckles dotted the crowd."You'll all have time to change before the party; the dress code will be semi-formal.Any questions?"He looked around, but not one hand was raised."Great.Have a wonderful St. Pat's Day tomorrow, and we'll see you tomorrow evening."

~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. St. Pats

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this took so long to get posted.On top of ff.net being down _for weeks_, it was a multitude of crap going on in the real world that had to be dealt with, and as a result, the fic suffered.C'est la vie, I guess.As always, thanks to my betas.Without you two, this fic wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

**Meg** : Thanks for taking the time to give me your quick comments and first impressions, especially since you have other stuff overwhelming you right now.Keep your chin up and try not to let everything get to you.

**Heather**: I can't say how much I enjoy getting an edited chapter back from you.If I could get away with leaving your comments in, this fic would be really strange, but hilarious.Thanks for our wonderful (long!) conversations and your fresh perspective on just about everything (with or without the soapbox).

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 6 – St. Pat's

Logan sighed deeply and smiled to himself as a pair of hands kneaded the sore muscles in his shoulders."Mmmmm, that feels wonderful."

The fire in front of him merrily crackled and popped as he sank further into her embrace.He could feel her snuggle up next to him on the loveseat they shared.Absently, he slid one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"You were wonderful up there on stage," she said, one finger idly stroking along his jaw.

He caught her hand and kissed the palm, pleased at her sharp intake of breath.A groan escaped his lips as she leaned in and kissed him just under his ear, and began to slowly work her way towards his mouth.

"You should've been an actor instead of an author, Cale," she whispered.

Logan smiled as she kissed the corner of his mouth, then froze as her words sank in._Cale?Why'd Max call me 'Cale'?I'm not an author.I'm a journalist_.

With a gasp, Logan sat up in his bed, one hand fumbling for the small light that sat on the nightstand.As the dim glow slowly pushed back the darkness, he looked at the woman reclined against him.It wasn't Max, it was Crystal.Quickly, he released her and pushed himself away.A glance at the clock told him that it was a little after six in the morning._It was a dream.It was all a dream._

"Where's Ma- Nicole?" Logan asked."What are you doing here, in my bedroom?"

Crystal slowly pushed herself up from her sprawled position on his bed."Your little assistant has been leaving your cabin every morning at about five a.m., only to return a couple of hours later.It's my guess that she's hooked up with Alan and has been …visiting him… all this week.As for what I'm doing here, I think you can figure that part out."She smiled seductively at him and slowly lay back on the bed, her gaze boring into his

Logan's mind raced at the implication of Crystal's words.Just the fact that Max hadn't stormed into his room and bodily thrown Crystal out gave proof to the other woman's claim that Max was not in the cabin at all.As to where she actually was, Logan hadn't the faintest idea._Max wouldn't do that, would she?I mean, I know I don't have any claims on her, but she wouldn't see someone behind my back.She knows I'm interested in her, right?She gave me a hickey yesterday, for godssake.That has to mean that there's something between us.Sure, neither one of us has actually come out and said anything, but we've been in enough situations where we've come close enough that-_

"Cale, don't worry about her," Crystal's voice cut through his mental rambling."If she were interested in you, she wouldn't be disappearing every morning without telling you, would she?"Crystal smiled to herself as Logan closed his eyes and sighed deeply.She could see that she had scored a direct hit; now all she had to do was give him one more shove."Alan's been interested in her since the day she arrived, and she hasn't exactly been pushing him away, has she?"

Logan didn't look at her.His mind was a cloud of whirling thoughts and suspicions. "I think you should leave now," he said quietly, his words measured.

Crystal studied him for a moment."All right, I'll leave.But keep in mind what I said, Cale.I'm sure you'll see the truth of my words soon enough."She paused."And you know where to find me."Crystal slowly pushed herself into a sitting position and stood up.She reached out and caressed Logan's cheek."I'll see you later."

Logan rubbed his eyes as Crystal left his room.He sighed deeply to himself as he heard the front door open and close again, signaling her exit.The clock showed him that it was six-fifteen; forty-five minutes before he usually got up.With another sigh, he shut off the alarm and donned his sweatpants and a robe_.Might as well get the coffee started,_ he thought to himself as he made his way to the kitchen. He didn't want to think about Crystal's words.He was sure that there was a perfectly good reason why Max was out.He knew she only slept a few hours each night, so it made sense that she would be up and about this early in the morning.Once the coffee had been started, Logan turned to head back towards his room.As he passed through the living room, he looked out the front window.The sight stopped him dead in his tracks.Highlighted by a street lamp, Max stood in the road, talking to someone.Logan inched closer to the window and peered out into the darkness, trying to identify the other figure.

Alan.She was standing there talking to Alan. _'It's my guess that she's hooked up with Alan and has been …visiting him… all this week' _Crystal's words came back to him in a rush.Dazed, Logan sank down into the loveseat, his thoughts spiraling down an ever-darkening tunnel as anger at Max's apparent betrayal started to fester.

Max opened the door to the cabin quietly, unaware of Logan's presence in the living room.An unfamiliar smell teased her senses, but was quickly overpowered by the scent of fresh-brewed coffee.She absently dismissed the first odor when she noticed Logan sitting motionless on the loveseat.She smiled at him, even though she knew he couldn't see her expression in the darkness."Hey, I wasn't expecting you to be up for a while."

"Couldn't sleep," was his terse reply.

Max frowned slightly, immediately aware of the flat tone of his voice, but unsure as to its cause."Been up long?"

"Since about six."

"Wish I would've known.You could have come on my morning jog with me."

"Is that where you were?" he asked, finally glancing in her direction, his gaze impassive.

Max slowly made her way to the loveseat and perched on the edge, facing him.She could feel his anger, but couldn't, for the life of her, figure out where it was coming from.What did it have to do with her early morning forays?"Yeah, that's where I was.That and the gym," she replied.

"Really," he said sarcastically. He was openly glaring at her now.

"Yes, really," she repeated."What's the matter with you, Logan?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why you're out jogging in the middle of the night."

"I wasn't.I was jogging in the very early morning."

"Right.For over an hour and a half?What else have you been doing besides jogging, Max?"The words were dripping with suspicion as he eyed her accusingly.

Max could feel her own anger rising to the surface."I already told you," she replied icily."I was working out at the gym."

"Oh, is that what it's called?" he asked.

"What the hell are you hinting at, Logan?Is there something else you think I was doing?" Her voice had dropped to a dangerous pitch as she glared crossly at him.

He matched her angry stare with his own."Why don't you tell me. You're the one who's been sneaking around."

"I have not been 'sneaking around', as you call it.And besides, who the hell do you think you are to demand an accounting of my actives?"

"Something I've been questioning for the last half hour while you were out doing whatever the hell it is that you've been doing every morning," Logan replied.His voice was filled with a rage that easily matched the coldness of his eyes.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't required to ask your permission to do anything.I didn't even do that for Zack, and he was my c.o."

"Well, maybe that's one of the reasons he considers you to be unreliable."

Max slowly got to her feet.She was nearly shaking with a cold fury as she glared at the man sitting in front of her.It took everything in her genetically-enhanced power to keep from sending him flying across the room."Go to hell, Logan," she spat.Turning on her heel, she stormed up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

"We're supposed to meet Davis at eight-thirty for breakfast," he called after her, knowing that she would hear him.His only response was the slamming of her bedroom door.Scowling to himself, Logan returned to his room to get ready for the day.

*******

"Well, apparently no one had bothered to tell this poor guy how to do a stage kiss, so when he goes to kiss his leading lady, it's obvious to everyone backstage that he's giving her a tonsillectomy," Davis paused to take a sip of coffee.He studied the couple sitting with him at the small round table.He hadn't missed the fact that they had barely spoken two words to each other throughout the entire breakfast, nor the way that they intentionally avoided even looking at each other.Max, at least, was attempting to be social to Davis, but she was coldly ignoring Logan with a practiced ease.

_Damn, I can't even tease them about Logan's hickey_, he thought. _You'd think that after yesterday, they'd be finally over this 'just friends' bullshit, but now it looks like we're back at square one._

__He frowned at Logan, who was methodically pulverizing his barely touched breakfast with a fork, then turned his attention to Max.She, at least, hadn't let her semi-bad mood stand in the way of her meal.As he watched her, she mopped up the last of her egg yolk with a corner of her toast and popped it into her mouth.She glanced up at him, waiting for him to finish the rest of his story.Davis sighed to himself quietly and picked up the tale from where he had left off.

"Now Amanda has been doing theatre ever since she was a child," he continued."And she has an incredible sense of humor.So instead of getting angry and biting his tongue or something, she starts to blow air into his mouth as he's kissing her."

"From where I was standing in the wings, I could see his cheeks puffing in and out like a blowfish.He started laughing to the point where his shoulders were shaking and, without missing a beat, Amanda released him and immediately launched into her next line.He wasn't able to look directly at her until after the intermission."

Max chuckled appreciatively as Davis finished his story, but it was without her usual vitality.She took a long swig of her milk and leaned slightly forward on the table.Her attention was focused on Davis, effectively cutting Logan out of the conversation.

"So, are you free today, or are you going to be stuck in the theatre?" she asked.

Davis glanced over at Logan, wondering what had caused such a schism between the couple, then turned his attention back to Max."I'm actually free.I'd noticed that there was going to be a parade through town today, so I was wondering if you two would be interested in going."

Max was nodding her head as Davis spoke."I saw the posters.I was going to ask you the same thing.The parade starts at one, so maybe we could meet for lunch somewhere in town first, then find one of those Celtic bars I keep hearing about, and go there after the parade."She glanced briefly at Logan, but her eyes lacked their usual warmth as she regarded him.

Knowing that an answer was expected of him as well, Logan looked up from his mangled breakfast."Actually, I have some work to do, so don't bother to include me in your plans today."He didn't look at Max as he spoke, but he could feel her tense up as her anger returned.

Max's eyes narrowed as she glared at him."We wouldn't dream of it." The words dropped coldly from her lips.She turned to Davis."Thank you very much for breakfast, Davis.I'll be at your cabin at about a quarter 'till twelve and we can ride into town together.Gotta blaze."She spared a single, withering glance at Logan, then turned on her heel and walked out of the small café.Logan smiled grimly to himself as he heard her leave.

"All right, what the hell's going on between you two? Davis asked exasperatedly

"What are you, my mother?"

"No, I'm one of your oldest friends.One that doesn't want to see you throw away a good thing."

Logan snorted."Yeah, right.A good thing.It's such a good thing, that she's been going out every morning, to who knows where, then coming back right before I wake up."

"Did you ask her why she'd been going out each morning?"

"She said that she's been going jogging and to the gym, but I saw her standing on the street talking to Alan this morning."

"So you automatically assumed the worst."Davis shook his head in amazement."Cale, it _is_ entirely possible that she just ran into him."

"Uh-huh.You don't just happen to 'run into' someone at six-thirty in the morning.Crystal told me that she's been 'visiting' Alan all week."

Davis sat back in his chair and looked at his friend, as the picture immediately became clear."You know, for a really intelligent man, sometimes you can be a complete idiot.Let me tell you about Alan and Crystal.Alan is one of the best, most reliable, actors it's ever been my pleasure to work with.He's a very good-looking young man and he knows it.He's a flirt.But he isn't stupid or blind.Even though you and Max have been playing your little 'secret identity, we're just friends' game, he was the first one to ask me why you two are pretending that you're not involved with each other.Alan will probably continue to flirt with Max until you both leave, but I can guarantee that he would never take it beyond that."

"Crystal, on the other hand, started making a play for you the minute you arrived.She is a talented actress.Unfortunately, one of her biggest talents is her ability to sleep her way into roles.Amazingly enough, she didn't sleep her way into this one, but that's not the point I'm trying to make.Crystal is also aware of the attraction between you and Max, but she isn't going to let it stand in her way of getting into your bed."

"Now, given that you've known Max for a bit longer than Crystal, which would you be more inclined to trust?"

"Max," Logan answered, without hesitation."But that doesn't change the fact that I saw her on the street talking to Alan this morning."

"No, it doesn't.So why don't you ask her about it instead of acting like such an ass?You're a journalist, Cale.You need to verify your facts before making any conclusions."Davis stood up and dropped enough money on the table to cover their breakfast and a generous tip for the waitress."One more thing to think about, Logan.Alan wasn't released from the hospital until Wednesday afternoon.Kinda pokes a few holes in Crystal's story about Max visiting him every morning, doesn't it?"Davis nodded to his friend and walked out of the café, leaving Logan with an entirely new set of thoughts to consider.

*******

The crowd roared its appreciation as yet another bagpipe band strutted their way down the thoroughfare.Max cheered along with the rest of the parade-goers, nearly upsetting the green beer that Davis was trying to press into her hands.Since it was St. Patrick's Day, Max had dressed accordingly.She was wearing a soft emerald-green sweater that gave her dusky skin a warm glow.Black boots with gold tips peeked out from under the cuffs of a pair of black jeans.A black belt, also tipped with gold and obviously a match to the boots, encircled her small waist.As she absently took the beer from Davis, she motioned towards the band with her free hand."What are they doing with their sticks?" Max shouted the question in Davis' ear, hoping that he could hear her above the noise of the crowd.

"They're tenor drummers," he shouted back."They are the flashy part of the band.The sticks are called 'mallets' and are on a string that the drummer holds on to.They twirl the mallets as they play and their rhythm compliments what the snare and bass drummers are playing."Davis motioned towards the other drummers as he spoke."Since we're next to the reviewing stand, they'll probably stop and play for a bit, so we might get to see more."

Max grinned in delight as she watched the front line of the band do a u-turn and march back between the ranks that followed them.As each line turned, they started to form a large circle, leaving the bass drummer and the two tenor drummers in the middle.The group finished their tune to loud applause and cheering.The head bagpipe guy, the "Pipe Major" Davis had called him, shouted out instructions to his band and, after a loud beat from the bass, led them into another fast-paced tune.Max was enthralled at the speed that the pipers' fingers flew over the wooden chanter and equally amazed at the precision of the snare drummers.The two girls playing tenor were facing each other, their actions perfectly mirrored as they whipped their mallets through the air in perfect counterpoint to the bass.The cheering redoubled in intensity as the tune suddenly became "Scotland the Brave", the band formed up ranks again, and then began to march away.

Max finally noticed that she was holding a beer and took a drink."I've never seen a bagpipe band before," she informed Davis as they strolled to a relatively quieter area, leaving the boisterous crowd and parade behind them.

"Never?" Davis was incredulous."What, do you lock yourself away every St. Pats or something?"

Max laughed."No, I just… I don't know.I just have never had the opportunity, I guess."

Davis grinned at her."If you ever have the chance to meet Cale's brother, make sure to have him play his pipes for you."

A brief frown flickered across her face at the mention of Logan's name, almost too quickly to notice."Uh… Gideon?" Max asked.

Davis nodded."Yeah.He and Cale were part of a two man band for a long time."He snorted in remembrance."It was the only way a stranger could tell them apart, actually.Gideon played the pipes and Logan played snare."

Max's jaw dropped in surprise, all anger momentarily forgotten."Logan plays the snare drum?"

"Actually, I think he can play just about any percussion instrument there is.He also plays the guitar, writes music, and sings.He's a man of many hidden talents, our Cale is."

Max looked down into her green beer."I guess I wouldn't know," she said so softly that Davis barely heard her.Her eyes flashed angrily as she looked back up at him."The only talent I've seen lately is his ability to make groundless assumptions and accusations."Her voice caught in her throat as she chuckled humorlessly."With the exception of the dress, I thought he knew that I've curbed my nocturnal activities."

Davis raised a single eyebrow at her."Nocturnal activities?Is this something I should be hearing?"

A slight smile crossed her face."It, uh, has to do with the way Logan and I met," she started.

"I really don't think I want to hear this."

Max's eyes widened as she realized what Davis was thinking."No!No, nothing like that!"Max blushed."I was … I was attempting to relieve him of a piece of art that he owned."

"He said that he had a statue that you-" Davis broke off his sentence as a delighted smile split his features."You were trying to rob him, weren't you?"

"I was trying to procure an item that he had no use for." Max corrected him."And I had a use for the money it would bring me."

"But you left without it."

Max nodded."Yeah, Logan caught me, but I escaped.He managed to track me down.Made me dinner and a business offer.We've been working together ever since."She swirled her beer around in her cup, absently watching the foam rings that were formed slide back into the liquid."Once we started working together, though, I started to curtail my independent jaunts.I was usually too busy doing something for him to have the time to do a professional job."_Or what I was doing for him was the professional job_, she silently added."He knows that the last article I acquired was the dress I wore to his cousin's wedding…" Max trailed off as she continued to gaze into her drink.

Davis sighed.He knew he shouldn't get in the middle of their disagreement, but even though he had known her less than a week, he considered Max to be a friend.And God knew there were enough times that Kelli had gone to Logan in the hope that Logan would knock some sense into _him_.He owed Max his help, even though she didn't know it.He briefly considered the best place to start._Nothing like beginning at the beginning_, he reasoned."From what I was able to get out of him earlier, he's upset about your morning excursions."

Max nodded."That much I knew.But when he asked, I told him what I've been doing.I leave the cabin at about five a.m., jog to the gym that's just down the road, work out there for about an hour or so, then jog back to the cabin in time for him to wake up."She snorted."I told him that," she repeated."Not," she continued, "that it's any of his business in the first place."

Davis sighed."Part of being in a relationship means sharing your private time with each other, even if it is nothing more than telling him what you've been doing."

Max shook her head."But we're not in a relationship."

Davis crossed his arms and gave her a _look_."Uh-huh."

"He's just never gone so control-freakish on me before," she continued, ignoring Davis' response.

"But I'm guessing that you've never been together twenty-four hours a day for nearly a week, either."

"True." Max frowned."But he accused me of lying about what I'd been doing.Not outright, but he's nothing if not a master of implying more than he's actually saying."

"He saw you outside with Alan."Davis offered her another piece of the puzzle.

Max shrugged."I ran into him as I was heading back-"She broke off suddenly as she looked at Davis, realization dawning in her eyes."Logan and I weren't talking about the same kind of nocturnal activities, were we?"Her eyes narrowed as Davis nodded."He saw Alan and I together, so he immediately assumed …." Max trailed off."Of all the insufferable, arrogant, stupid…He's a dead man.I'm gonna kill him."

"What was Alan doing in front of your cabin at six-thirty in the morning?" Davis asked.

Still intent on planning Logan's demise, Max answered him absently."He was on the way back to his cabin.Apparently, his ribs don't hurt so much that he wasn't able to warm Leslie's bed last night."

Davis chuckled softly at the unexpected news."I had wondered why Leslie volunteered to take care of him when he was released from the hospital," he muttered to himself.

Max shook her head and looked up at the man who was so like Logan, yet so different."I still don't understand, though.I thought he knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't cheat-That I wouldn't lie to him."

Davis smiled slightly as he heard Max correct herself; switching quickly to slightly safer semantics.For an instant, he debated as to what to say next, then decided to answer the statement she _hadn't_ made."Well, sometimes when a man's in love, he does really stupid things."

Max started at his words.She stared down into her beer and laughed nervously."Yeah, right."

"I may joke about a lot of things, but I'm perfectly serious about this.You two can dance around the truth all you want, but that won't make it go away."

Max crossed her arms and stared out at the parade that was still going by as she considered his words."He owes me one helluva good apology," she stated absently.She turned her attention back to Davis and took a swig of her beer."Well, I'm not going to let him ruin my day.If he wants to sit in the cabin and sulk about things that are only true in his head, that's his problem.He'll just have to find me to apologize."

"Thata girl!" Davis grinned at her.She reminded him so much of his own wife, Kelli; full of spit and fire and stubborn as all get out.It was like reliving his own courtship, although much more amusing.She was a good match for Cale.Now that he knew the whole story, Davis had faith that he could pound the truth into Logan's stubborn head.Hopefully, he would get to Logan before Max did, because he had a sneaking suspicion that she would do the same truth-pounding … only literally.

*******

The play was going well, despite the fact that Logan had stumbled slightly over his first line.Max had been correct, though; no one in the audience had noticed the error.The knowledge was encouraging, and Logan found that the play began to flow even easier once he had gotten over his initial stage fright.

It was obvious that the audience was caught up in the spell woven by Logan and Crystal.Laughs of pleasure and gasps of shock all fell at their predefined moments, giving the play an extra intensity that had been missing at the rehearsals.When Logan had questioned it during the intermission, Davis had told him that it was a normal phenomenon; a live audience was always going to add an extra dimension, no matter how many times the actors had already performed the show.

Logan had taken a moment to peek out the backstage door during the intermission and was astounded at the number of people that filled the auditorium.He had become used to it being nearly empty during rehearsals, but now it looked like one immense living being.Jewels winked in the muted lighting, accenting almost all the colorful gowns worn by the women and some of the darker suits worn by the men.Logan hadn't seen such a display of wealth since the last gala he had attended as a representative of Cale Industries.And the noise!It was a low rumble, pierced by occasional laughter, which ebbed and swelled as the people moved between the auditorium and the lobby.It was a heady feeling, knowing that all these people had come to see his play brought to life.

The only disappointment to the entire evening was that Max hadn't shown up.He couldn't blame her, really, not after the way they had fought.He had considered Davis' words to him at breakfast earlier and had fully intended to ask Max why he had seen her with Alan, but when he caught up with her later that day, she was in _his_ company.Granted, Leslie and several of the other actors were with them as well, but it seemed to Logan that her hand lingered a little too long on Alan's when he handed her a drink and that she inclined her head a little too close to Alan's when he spoke.Jealously and anger clawed at Logan's heart as he watched her and he left without speaking a single word.

Now, as he stood on the stage sweating slightly under the hot lights, he looked at Crystal as she pressed her back against the rough wooden wall of the alcove that sheltered them both.He hadn't seen her since she tried to climb into his bed earlier, but all traces of the seductive temptress had vanished the minute she walked onto the stage as Jessica.He had to admit, she was putting on a superb show.Her Jessica had turned out to be strong enough to make one believe that she was a cold-hearted soldier yet, at the same time, sensitive enough to bring out the passionate woman behind the mask.They were nearing the culmination of the play, and the tension in the theatre was almost palatable.

_Logan glanced up as voices shouted right outside of their hiding place._

_"Michael!" Crystal looked up at him as her shoulders started to visibly shake._

_Logan looked down at her and paled."Oh, God, Jess, don't go into arrest.Not now!" he pleaded with her._

_In response, Crystal slumped back, her head lolling to one side.Logan pulled her close, rocking her back and forth slowly, as his shoulders shook with his quiet sobbing._

_On the other side of the building, one of the soldiers opened the door and quickly stepped back as a foul odor flooded over him._

_"Damn.No one could hide in there," he said as he covered his nose with his free hand._

_"Search it, anyway," the officer in charge instructed._

_"Yes, Sir," the guard responded._

_Slowly, he and the other flashligted guard crept in, shining their lights all over the interior of the building.The moved around methodically and carefully, coming closer and closer to the small alcove that Logan and Crystal hid in.One of the guards passed his light directly over Logan's head, but didn't send up a shout that they had been found._

_Finally, the first guard nudged the second."C'mon.They aren't here.And if I have to stay much longer, I may lose my dinner because of this stench."_

_The second guard nodded and together, they left the building._

Just before he started to say his final lines, Logan glanced up and into the wings.There, veiled in the shadowy recess of the stage, stood Max.Her expression was stoic as she watched him clasp Crystal tightly to his body.A sudden anger bubbled up within Logan once more as he watched Alan appear behind Max.Tearing his gaze away, Logan looked down at the woman in his arms.His eyes filled with a fierce determination as he slowly bent his head towards her.His mind was whirling with thoughts of hurting Max as much as she'd hurt him.As he pressed his mouth to Crystal's, he traced her lips with his tongue.He felt her mouth open beneath his with a soft sigh.Reaching up with his free hand, he brushed her soft, strawberry blond curls away from her face as he thrust his tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth.She responded by leaning into him, allowing him to deepen the kiss even farther.After several long moments, Logan broke the kiss and glanced up at Max.It had worked.She was still watching him, but now her expression was one of heartwrenching sadness.The pain in her eyes tore at him, driving out all previous thoughts of anger and jealousy.Helplessly, he could only watch as she turned away and slipped into the darkness and somehow, he was certain, out of his life forever."Max, no!" he whispered to himself.Frantic, he started to get up, but Crystal held on to him tightly.

"She's not worth it," she whispered fiercely.

"No!" He shook his head in denial, wishing he could take it all back."MAX!NO!"

With a start, Logan sat upright on the couch where he had fallen asleep.His heart was pounding in his chest with the aftereffect of the powerful dream.Shakily, he swung his feet to the floor and rested his head in his hands._God,I've been such an ass.__I have no reason to doubt her.I didn't even ask her about Alan.I just assumed the worst and it went downhill from there.I've got to apologize to her.God, I hope she'll forgive me._Unsteadily, Logan reached for his cane and levered himself to his feet.The specifics of the nightmare were beginning to fade from his mind, but the sense of urgency that the dream imparted was enough to push him quickly out the door and on his way to find the woman who had stolen his heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~


	7. Opening Night

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't

**Author's Note:** As always, thanks to my betas.Having three very distinct perspectives and styles has made me sit back and really work on this fic.As a result, it's gone way beyond all of my wildest expatations.

**Meg** : Thank you so much for finding all the little details that I manage to miss, no matter how many times I proof-read the thing before sending it to you.I'm not able to write out of character with you around!

**Heather**: Relavent to the story or not, your comments always make me smile.Thanks for listening when I bounce ideas off you and for not thinking that I'm crazier than I really am.

**Moni**: See what happens when you badger me for chapters?I send them to you and ask you to beta them. ;-)Seriously, thanks for your insight and comments on the latest installment of this fic.I think you're stuck with this job.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 7 – Opening Night

The Irish pub that Davis and Max had found was boisterous and noisy with St. Patrick's Day celebrants, many of which were from the theatre.The place was called "The Blarney Stone", and was obviously a popular hangout for many of the locals.A large, 'U' shaped bar took up nearly half the establishment, complimented by a medium-sized stage opposite the closed end of the 'U'.The space in between was jam-packed with picnic tables and benches.The whitewashed walls were set off by a mixture of dark paneling and large windows.A large row of shelves was suspended from the ceiling, following the line of the bar, and was beautifully decorated with large drinking mugs.Max realized that the mugs belonged to the regular patrons when she witnessed one being taken down, rinsed, then filled to the brim with a dark, foamy liquid before it was handed to a customer.The oddest thing about the bar was the ceiling, as it was covered with hand drawn sketches, artwork and signatures.

"Are ye wishin' t'add yer mark, lass?" The young bartender asked her when he noticed Max staring at the ceiling.

"Pardon me?" Max asked as she turned to face the man.He was a brilliant blond, his long hair tied neatly into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.A clean apron, with a nametag that read 'Connol' on it, covered a dark brown shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up to his forearms.His stature was reminiscent of Bling, but his blue eyes reminded her of Logan.Max blinked as she stared at the man with an unfocused gaze, lost in her own thoughts.She only came back to the present when he cleared his throat. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Yon ceilin'.Tis a custom far er'one t'sign it.D'ye wish t'do so?"

Max blinked at the man as she internally translated his thick Irish brogue into English."Yeah, I think I'd like to sign it."

He smiled at her and held out a selection of markers."Well, then, ye'll be needin' one or mar o'these, I'm thinkin'.Max leaned forward to study the markers, then picked a green one out of his hand."Would ye be needin' a leg oup?" he asked.At Max's nod, he removed his apron and came out from around the bar.

Max blinked as she suddenly realized how large the young bartender really was.He topped her only by a couple of inches, but his frame was one of solid muscle.He grinned at her as he clasped his hands together in front of him."Jus put yer right foot in me hands, then yer left knee on t'me left shawlder when I rise oup," he said.He nodded at Davis, who had witnessed the entire exchange with a grin on his face."Will ye be so kind ahs t'steady the lass when I lift her?" he asked.

"Not a problem," Davis replied.

Max grinned to herself and refrained from telling both men that she highly doubted she needed the additional assistance.Instead, she placed her foot in Connol's waiting hands.Just to make them feel better, she placed one hand on Davis' shoulder and the other hand on Connol's shoulder.She uncurled her knee and was smoothly lifted into the air as Connol straightened up.Effortlessly, she placed her left knee on his shoulder and raised both arms to touch the ceiling.She absently adjusted her weight and smiled at him as he looked up at her."Um, I hate to tell you this, but I really wanted to sign my name over there."She pointed towards the rear of the bar, where the ceiling wasn't quite so full.

Connol looked at the area and nodded."Righto."He glanced back up at her."Can ye balance, or d'ye want me t'let ye douwn?"

"I can balance."

With another nod, he strode to the area she had indicated, with Max easily balanced on his shoulder."Right hee'ar?" he asked.

"This is it," she replied.She pulled the cap off the marker and stretched her arms to the ceiling once more.After a brief moment of silent consideration, she placed the marker to the ceiling and began to write.

_03/17/2020_

_X5 - Still Free_

_MG_

With a satisfied smile, Max recapped the marker and pushed herself off of Connol's shoulder.She landed lightly on her feet and smiled at his surprised expression as she handed him back his marker.

"Thank you."

Connol touched the brim of an imaginary hat and bowed slightly."Twas me pleasure."With a slight smile for both of them, he turned and made his way back to the bar.

Davis looked up at the ceiling and read her addition."X5 Still free?" he asked.

"Long story."

Davis regarded her shrewdly, but didn't reply.Finally, he nodded to himself with a soft "Hmph".Before Max could question him, he nodded towards the lively group from the theatre."C'mon.Let's find ourselves a seat before they're all taken."With a half bow, he motioned for her to precede him as they made their way back up towards the front of the bar.

Unfortunately, Davis was called away to the theater not long after they sat down.He apologized to Max repeatedly for abandoning her, but the rest of the group waved him off with the assurance that she would be fine.After promising to come back as soon as he was finished, Davis quickly headed out.

True to their word, the other actors made sure that Max felt welcome among them, which included several attempts to get her to join various drinking games.Knowing that her genetic makeup would give her the edge, Max politely declined the games with higher stakes, although she did manage to win $20 off of Ron when he challenged her to a game of speed chess.

She grinned to herself when the games evolved into an improv contest.Ron and Brad were trying to outdo each other in what they called "The 199 Challenge".Apparently, it was a popular item, because as soon as they had started it, the other actors in the bar immediately flocked over to add their encouragement to the champion of their choice.

"Ok, 199 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'I'm sorry.I can't serve 199 directors here.'The directors say 'Oh, shoot!'"

Brad grinned and took a drink of his beer."199 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'I'm sorry.I can't serve 199 directors here.'The directors say 'But we're looking for some action!'"

"199 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'I'm sorry.I can't serve 199 directors here.'The directors say 'Don't worry.It's just a stage we're going through.'"The crowd groaned."It wasn't that bad!" Ron protested.

"Yes, it was!" Someone yelled back.

"Ok, ok.My turn again," Brad said."199 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'I'm sorry.I can't serve 199 directors here.'The directors say 'But we can _produce_ an i.d.'"He looked around and grinned."Get it?Produce?A Producer?Awww, c'mon you guys!"He ducked as a couple of peanuts sailed at his head.

"199 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'Hey, welcome.Let me get you a beer.'The directors look at the beer and say 'Yuck!There's a film on that beer!'"

A chorus of "Eewwww's" filled the room in response to Ron's joke, to which he quickly stood and bowed towards his audience.

"198 directors walk into a bar.The bartender says 'Wait a minute.Isn't there supposed to be 199 of you?'The directors say 'No, why?Do you have any extras?'"

Ron had been whispering with one of the other actors and stood up once he realized it was his turn again.He motioned to the other man, who started a deft beat on the table and began chanting a funky background chorus.Ron turned his baseball cap around backwards, put his sunglasses on, and affected a classic rapper pose."199 directors walk in-to a bar," he said in a perfect time to the other man's beat."Bartender man says 'Yo.You listen to me, see?I can't serve no 199 directors here.'The directors say 'Hey, it's a wrap!'"Ron quickly dropped back down to his seat and covered his head, just as a hail of peanuts came raining down on him amid a chorus of groans that was even louder than before.

Brad shook his head."I not even going to try to beat that one," he said with a smile."Because if I try, there won't be any peanuts left to eat."

Max laughed appreciatively along with the rest of them as took a sip of her beer.A scent suddenly assaulted her nostrils.It was strangely familiar and it only took Max a fraction of a second to place it.Slowly, she turned around, only to find Crystal standing behind her.Max's eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded the older woman. _What the hell was she doing in our cabin this morning?_

Crystal smiled insincerely in return.She was pleased to note that Cale wasn't hovering over Nicole's shoulder like he had been for most of the week._I guess my little talk with him this morning had some impact,_ she thought with satisfaction_._

"I never figured you for a morning person," Max's abrupt statement cut in on Crystal's thoughts.

The other woman blinked, surprised at the topic of conversation.She quickly dismissed the notion that Nicole had seen her leave the cabin that morning, but a small whisper of doubt still wormed its way into her thoughts.With a careless wave, Crystal slid into the empty seat next to Nicole and poured herself a beer."I've discovered that I'm usually able to get quite a bit accomplished in the early morning hours."

"And did you accomplish much this morning?" Max asked.

Crystal blinked at Max."I'm sure I don't understand what you mean."

"Oh, but I think you do," Max replied."Cale's tastes usually run to fine colognes, but for some reason, a really cheap perfume was fouling up the air in our cabin when I came back this morning."

Crystal bristled slightly at the insult, but decided to ignore it.It was obvious that Nicole was indeed aware of her early morning visit, but Crystal didn't know exactly how much she knew.

"So, what the hell were you doing in my cabin this morning?" Max finished, her tone deadly serious.

"I don't think that's any of your concern."

"But it is my concern.If it has anything to do with Cale, it's definitely my concern."

"I don't believe that Cale shares your sentiment," Crystal responded smugly.

Max smiled slightly, amazed at the other woman's audacity."I think you'd be surprised."

"Really," Crystal studied Max over the rim of her cup."Then why is it he isn't spending the day with you?I heard about the way you two were ignoring each other at breakfast."Silently, Crystal thanked the fates that had allowed her to overhear two other actors discussing the incident."Did you and Cale have a little fight earlier this morning?" she asked in a falsely sweet voice.

Max ignored the question."Quit throwing yourself at him, Crystal.He's not interested."

"Until Cale himself tells me that he's not interested, I think you should quit with your pathetic attempts to dictate his personal life."

"My pathetic attempts?"Max snorted."Sorry, I think you hold the title for that one."

"Cale has the right to make his own choices about his personal life, and since he refers to you as nothing more than his assistant, I think that one choice, at least, is already perfectly clear."

"It certainly was clear enough to you when we walked out of the bathroom yesterday, wasn't it?" Max smiled sweetly as Crystal glared at her."If his non-verbal hints to you aren't enough, I can easily have it arranged for him to spell it out to you."

Crystal shook her head."If it's arranged by you, it's not valid."

"You're making this shit up as you go, aren't you?" Max stared at Crystal."I should just kick your ass and be done with it, but you'd probably get brain damage."

"Oh, now we're resorting to physical threats?"

"As much as I'd like to make good on that threat, it'd probably be overkill," Max responded.She sighed in frustration as she stared at the other woman."What's it gonna to take to get you to see the truth?"

"The truth is that Cale doesn't belong to you, no matter how much you try to pretend otherwise.I think you've mistaken his willingness to hire a socially deprived child, mainly you, with actual affection.Can't you see that it's obvious he's just taken pity on you?I'm sure when you grow up, you'll learn to recognize the difference, but until then, you really need to stay out of my way."Max gaped at her, amazed by her stubborn refusal to face the facts.Crystal smiled, taking Max's silence as assent.She picked up her beer and finished it in a single draught."Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a social call to make."

Max watched Crystal walk out of the bar, no doubt in her mind as to whom would be the recipient of Crystal's 'social call'._Go after her!_ A little voice screamed inside her head._Don't let her poison Logan against you anymore than she already has!_

_Logan is a grown man and is perfectly capable of recognizing her meddling_, another, saner voice argued._He was angry, but surely, he must know she's manipulating him._

__The first voice snorted in contempt. _He's been aware of her intentions since he arrived,_ it retorted_.Yet, he still believed whatever line of crap it was that she fed him this morning._

__Almost without realizing it, Max found herself standing at the bar's payphone, the receiver pressed up against her ear.She didn't remember dialing, but she must have done so, because a phone on the other end was ringing.She started to hang up when a voice came on the other end of the line.

"This is Davis."

A relieved sigh escaped her as she realized that she hadn't blindly called Logan's cell phone, quickly followed by an irrational urge to get off the line before Davis realized who had called him."Uh, hi.I'm … I'm sorry.I think I dialed a wrong number…" Max stammered.

"Max?" Davis asked."Is that you?"

_Damn_."Uh, yeah."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah.I think… I think I called you by mistake."

"Did you want to talk to Logan?" he asked.

"Is he at the theatre with you?"Surprise and relief flooded Max's heart; Crystal wouldn't find anything beyond an empty cabin.She caught herself just as she started to ask Davis to put Logan on the line when she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be angry with him.

"No!" she nearly yelled into the phone."I don't want to talk to him.Not until he apologizes.And he has to do that in person."

Davis laughed.She could hear Logan's voice in the background, asking if she was the one that Davis was talking to.She stifled a small chuckle when Davis answered affirmatively, then informed Logan that she didn't want to talk to him.She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it when it sounded like a struggle for phone domination broke out on the other end of the line.

_I guess Logan's ready to apologize_, she thought with a smile as she brought the phone back up to her ear.

The sound of something crashing to the floor and the tinkling echo of shattered glass, trailed by a muffled "Oh, shit!" from Logan, was followed quickly by the repeated _thud_ as Davis dropped the cell phone and it bounced along the hardwood stage.Max started to laugh, trying to figure out what the two men were doing by the sounds of their frantic activity.After what seemed to be an eternity, Davis' voice came back on the line.

"You still there?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm here.Whadja break?"

A short silence answered her."Nothing," Davis replied with contrived innocence that immediately brought to mind the little boy voice that Logan sometimes used.She heard him cover the mouthpiece as he turned to address Logan "Get the duct tape out of my office.Bottom left desk drawer."

"Duct tape isn't going to fix that," she heard Logan argue back.

"Duct tape fixes everything," Davis insisted.His voice was louder as he returned his attention to Max."You still there?"

"Still here," she replied.

"Good.Uh, we shouldn't be much longer here."She heard Logan snort sarcastically in response to Davis' statement."Are you going to be there for much longer?"

"Well, no one shows any signs of leaving, so I guess I will."

"Good, good.We'll see you there shortly."

*******

As Logan and Davis made their way up the busy street towards the Blarney Stone, they were hailed by Alan and some of the other cast members.The group was sitting on the veranda of another Irish tavern and waved the two men over to join them.Even though he knew the feeling was unwarranted, Logan felt a surge of jealousy and anger wash over him at the sight of Alan.Determined not to give in to what he knew was a result of Crystal's manipulations, Logan smiled as he and Davis walked up.

Alan stood and poured them both a beer, then nodded down the street in the direction they had been headed."As soon as we finish this round, we're heading towards the Blarney Stone.That where you guys're going?"

Logan nodded."Nicole and some of the others are already there and supposedly have a table saved."He looked at Davis, who nodded in agreement.

Davis opened his mouth to add something when Leslie slipped under Alan's arm and kissed the young actor passionately.Davis grinned at the look of dumfounded shock on Logan's face.

"I see I didn't wear you out too much last night," she said with a grin.

"Ahh, Lez, I thought we were keeping this a secret?" Alan asked as he kissed her cheek.

"Nope.Cale and Nicole are keeping it a secret, not us."Leslie reached out and flipped down the collar of Logan's shirt, revealing the hickie Max had given him the day before."Yep, still there," she said.

Alan started choking on his beer."Wow.That's a doozie.I'm impressed." He grinned at Logan's blushing face.His eyes lit up as a thought hit him."That's why you keep rubbing your neck every time you see Cale, isn't it?" he asked Davis.At his nod, Alan laughed."I'll have to tell Nicole to keep up the good work." He sat back down in his chair and pulled Leslie into his lap.He smiled at the bemused expression that Logan still wore."Are you all right?" he asked.

Logan nodded towards the two of them."Pardon me for being so rude about this, but were you two together last night?"

Alan nodded, a wide grin on his face."Yeah."

"But I thought I saw you this morning, about six-thirty, talking to Nicole."

Alan nodded again."You probably did.I ran into her when I was on my way back to my cabin.Apparently, Nicole thinks running around in the pre-dawn hours is fun or something.I was just cold and wanted to get some coffee into me."

Logan turned to look at Davis, who was regarding his friend with a slightly satisfied smile."And you knew this, didn't you."It wasn't a question.

Davis nodded."Yep."

Logan let his breath out in a long sigh."I really owe her, don't I?" he asked Davis quietly.

"Yep."

Logan looked into his beer, then downed it in a single draught."Finish up," he told his friend."I have someone I need to talk to."

*******

Back on the busy street, Logan didn't notice when Crystal altered her path towards them, intent on reaching him before he entered the bar.Only when Davis nudged him did he realize that she had intercepted their path.Logan groaned softly.

"Oh, gosh, there goes my phone," Davis said as Crystal approached them.

Logan glared at his friend, knowing damn well that the phone hadn't rung since they had left the theatre.

Davis smiled winningly at Crystal, then turned his attention to the pseudo phone call.As he spoke to the non-existent caller, he moved away, leaving Logan alone with petite, strawberry-blonde woman.

"I was looking for you earlier," she said with a soft smile.

"I had some work to catch up on."

"Are you all caught up now?"

"Actually, not quite.I still need to meet with Nicole and give her something."

"A termination notice?" Crystal asked slyly.

Logan blinked."Ah, no.An apology.Now, if you'll excuse me?"Without waiting for an answer, Logan stepped around her, deftly hooked Davis' elbow with his cane, and nearly dragged his friend down the street in his haste to get to Max.

Behind them, Crystal watched the two men hurry away, a cold anger burning deep in her eyes as she contemplated her next move.

As Logan entered the pub, his eyes immediately located Max standing at the bar.He froze for a moment, drinking in the sight of her, as she headed towards the table where the others were seated.His heart swelled with possessive pride as he noticed the appreciative glances she received from some of the male patrons; glances that she was completely oblivious to.As he watched her, he was amazed yet again at her lithe frame and soft beauty.Her tight green sweater and black jeans gave her skin a dusky glow.His palms ached with the need to feel the soft fabric as he slowly removed it from her body.His sensual daydream was suddenly shattered as shouts of recognition from the others drew her attention towards the door.He started to wave at her, then aborted the movement when Max looked over, then through him, as if he were beneath her notice.

_Whoo boy, I guess I deserved that one_, he thought.He looked down at his hands as Davis handed him an ale.Taking a fortifying swig of the amber liquid, Logan followed Max to the table.As she slid into her chair, Logan walked up behind her and leaned over, his lips barely an inch away from her ear.The memory of the feel of Max's lips against his skin flashed across his thoughts.He quickly suppressed the urge to bury his face in the nape of her neck.As angry as she had been that morning, she'd probably knock him through the wall."I'm sorry, Max," he whispered.

Max had seen Logan the instant he and Davis had walked into the bar.He looked as if he were in a better mood and had, in fact, started to wave at her.She stifled her immediate reaction to wave back and instead let her gaze slide past him as if he weren't there.His whispered apology made her look up at him in surprise.The feel of his breath across her ear sent a tingle down her spine.She ignored it.Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy to ignore the sudden pounding of her heart as she stared up into his face.He held her eyes for a moment, then held out a hand in invitation.Hesitantly, she took it, only to be pulled up out of her seat and led towards the rear of the bar where it was (relatively) quieter.

"I'm sorry," Logan repeated once they had found an empty space to talk.He steadied himself with his cane, then took her hand, squeezing her fingers gently."I was a complete ass to you this morning and I didn't have any reason to be."

Max pulled her hand out of his grasp and crossed her arms underneath her breasts."You're right," she agreed.

Logan hesitated, then chuckled self-consciously."Yeah, well, I just … I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry.You've never been anything but honest with me, and there was no reason for me to doubt you."He paused as he looked down, and then back up into her face."Forgive me?" he asked quietly.

Max looked up into his eyes.His gorgeous, blue, never-ending eyes.He looked like a small boy, begging forgiveness for his transgressions._Dammit,_ Max thought._How can I stay angry when he looks at me like that?_She felt a smile tugging at her lips."Yeah, I forgive you."

He smiled back at her in relief.As much as he wanted to pull her into his arms, something told him that it was not the right move to make.Despite the fact that they had finally started to break down the walls they had both constructed, their earlier fight had rebuilt some of the barriers.Opting to keep their conversation casual, Logan grinned sheepishly at her."I could've handled this whole thing a lot better."

"You're right."

"I guess you've discovered that I can be a real ass sometimes."

"Uh-huh."

"Hit me upside the head or something the next time I'm being so stupid, will you?"

"Not a prob."

"You know, you can quit agreeing with me at any time."

Max smiled and looked up at him without answering."C'mon," she said."Let's get back to the table before someone takes our seats."At Logan's nod of agreement, she took his free hand and led him back to the table.

Davis looked up as Max and Logan rejoined the group.Just as he had suspected, they had cleared the air between them and all was right with the world again.He frowned as he saw Crystal seat herself unobtrusively at the bar, watching the smiling couple with an unreadable expression.She didn't approach them, however; she just sat at the bar, drink in hand, gazing into her own thoughts with a distant expression.He toyed with the notion of going to speak with her, but she didn't look as if she would welcome any company.With a quiet sigh, Davis turned his attention away from the actress and let himself be drawn back in to the lively conversations that were flying around the table.

*******

Crystal surreptitiously studied the group at the table as she sipped her drink.She had followed Cale and Davis into the bar earlier that afternoon, watching as Cale had immediately pulled Nicole aside.They were so oblivious to everything but each other that neither one had noticed when she followed them to the other side of the building, hiding among a group of people that were heading in the same general direction.She had some wild idea of confronting them, but the group around her suddenly decided to stop at the bar, thus preventing her from moving forward.She had started to push her way through the crowd when she had noticed that Cale and Nicole were heading back towards her.Quickly, she had turned around and slipped back into the throng of people.When they had passed without stopping, she realized that she had not been seen.She had casually trailed them back, stopping just before the end of the bar where she could watch them, unobserved.

Now, several hours later, she was no closer to figuring out why Cale had chosen Nicole over her than she had been when she first sat down._What did I do wrong,_ she wondered._I'm everything she's not: poised, elegant, self-assured, voluptuous...What does he see in that skinny, arrogant child? _She suddenly noticed that her drink was empty.Absently, she motioned for the bartender to refill her glass.

_He can't possibly be in love with her; he's almost twice her age.He has to know that relationships like that never work out.He'll be an old man by the time she finally reaches maturity, and then she'll dump him for someone younger.He has to know that. _She reached for her glass to take another drink when she realized that it hadn't been filled.Surprised, she looked up at the bartender.

"Nae mar fer ye," he said.

She blinked owlishly at him, trying to focus her brain around the meaning of his words."Excuse me?"

He nodded towards the empty glass."Ye've had ahnough.I'll nae gie ye mar."

Sluggishly, she glanced down at the empty glass.She gazed at it for a moment, then realized that the bartender was still waiting for her response.Her fingers curled around the glass absently as she glanced back up at the man.With a sudden burst of clarity, she realized that he had cut her off, and was not going to refill her drink.

She blinked haughtily at him."I am perfectly capable of determining when I've had enough, thank you."

"Aye, I'm sure ye are.But I'm doin' the determinin' now, and I think ye've had ahnough."

Crystal glared at the man."Fine.I'll just take my business elsewhere."She slapped some money down on the bar and slid out of the chair.Sparing a single, withering glance at the table at which Cale and Nicole were sitting, she walked out of the bar. 

*******

Max and Logan arrived at the theatre promptly at six p.m.The atmosphere was charged with an excited hum as people finished up last minute projects and added last minute details.Rather than be caught up in the tumult, the couple retreated to Logan's dressing room to wait until it was time to get ready for the show.To pass the time, Logan tried to teach Max how to play Gin; a game he figured he might actually have a chance of winning now and again.Unfortunately, the thought of standing on a stage in an auditorium full of people took its toll on Logan's nerves.After explaining the same rule three different times and three different ways, they both decided to give up on Gin and play Go Fish instead.Logan blamed his loss of seven games in a row on nerves as well.His look of absolute horror when Max suggested Poker had her holding her sides with laughter.She was wiping the tears out of her eyes when Debbie knocked at the half-open door and stuck her head inside.

"Half an hour until show time, kids.Nicole, here is your seat ticket," she said, holding out a small, stiff piece of paper."There's a cast meeting in the kitchen in twenty minutes."Without waiting for an answer, Debbie popped back out and was off down the hall to the next dressing room.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to get changed," Max said, folding her cards down on the table.

"You take the bathroom.I'll change out here."Logan stood up and stretched, slowly circling his head around in an attempt to relieve his stiff neck.

Max nodded.Rising gracefully from the table, she unhooked her garment bag from the clothes rack and headed into the bathroom.Logan had yet to see the dress she was planning to wear, and Max had her doubts as to its appropriateness.Kendra had given it to her as a gift, but Max had never taken the opportunity to wear it.Slipping the dress' gold straps onto her bare shoulders, Max again questioned the logic that allowed Kendra talk her into bringing the dress with her.As she caught herself fiddling needlessly with her hair yet again, Max silently berated herself. _Quit stalling and get out there.The dress is fine; your hair is fine; your make-up is fine.Kendra has good taste in clothes_.She paused as she studied herself in the mirror._Usually_, she amended.Max closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened the door that led back into the dressing room.

The stunned look on Logan's face as she walked out of the bathroom immediately erased all her concerns.Logan's gaze was almost a physical caress as he drank in the sight of her.The dress was a shimmery emerald green that barely came down to mid-thigh.The thin, gold straps that went over her shoulders were more decorative than functional; the outfit graced her like a second skin.She could almost feel Logan's eyes as they trailed a hot line down her body and her breath caught in her throat when they returned to her face.They were a deep blue, the color of a storm on the horizon of a summer sky; filled with heat and promise.The room suddenly felt very hot, but at the same time, goosebumps broke out along her skin.The sensation was incredible.They stood staring at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before Max broke the heated silence.

"I guess I'd better go find my seat."

Logan nodded, unwilling to trust his voice.

Involuntarily, they both took a step closer to each other.

"I'll… I'll see you after the show."Max absently smoothed down the material of the dress, a small smile gracing her lips as she noticed Logan's eyes following the movement of her hands.

She reached out to pick up the small handbag that went with the dress at the same time Logan reached for it to hand it to her.Their hands met and before Max realized what was happening, she was in Logan's arms.Her body was pressed along the length of his; his arms firmly wrapped around her waist.She felt a tingling start deep inside her stomach as she looked up into his face, only inches from her own.A small gasp escaped her as he reached up to smooth a dark curl away from one cheek.

His fingers left a trail of heat as he traced a sensuous line along her jaw and down her neck.She watched his eyes glance down at her lips.Lifting her chin slightly, she answered his silent query as she whispered his name.She could feel his heart pounding in time with her own as his arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer into his body.His mouth hovered above hers for a brief instant before he began to lower his head.Max leaned into him, eager for the sensation of his lips pressed against her own, when a loud pounding on the dressing room door made them both jump.

"Meeting in the kitchen in five minutes."Debbie's muffled voice came from the hallway.

Max let her head fall forward onto Logan's shoulder as she listened to Debbie repeat her message at the next dressing room door.She had no desire to leave Logan's arms; nor did he seem willing to release her.Max knew, though, that if she started kissing him now, he wouldn't make the meeting.

_Hell, he probably wouldn't even make the play,_ a voice whispered seductively.

"If I don't go now, I never will," Logan said quietly, echoing her thoughts.

Max nodded into his shoulder.Reluctantly, she stepped out of his embrace.Taking a deep breath to calm her boiling blood, Max smiled up at him."I'm told that it's bad luck to wish you good luck, and that I'm supposed to say 'Break a leg' instead."

Logan chuckled."I've always thought that 'Break a Leg' sounded … ominous."

Max nodded."Yeah."

She looked up at him and came to a decision.Quickly, she leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.Before Logan could respond, she placed a single finger over his lips."I'll see you after the show."With another smile, she turned and left the dressing room, leaving him standing there alone, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

Logan was one of the last to arrive at the meeting, so ended up being one of the unlucky few that had to stand.The meeting was actually quite short; nothing more than a pep-talk from Jerry.Only as the meeting was about to come to a close did Jerry realize that Crystal wasn't among the large group that filled the kitchen.Frowning angrily to himself, he dispatched Debbie to get the play's leading lady and dismissed the rest of the actors.

Instead of returning directly to his now-empty dressing room, Logan followed Davis to his office.His friend had invited him in for a "shot of anti-stage fright" and was just pouring the amber whiskey into a bumper when Jerry opened the door.

"Crystal's drunk," he said without preamble.

"Shit!"Davis dropped his head into his hands and took a deep breath."How bad?"

Jerry grimaced."She hasn't passed out, if that's what you're asking.Debbie's holding her head under a cold shower now."

"Shit!" Davis repeated.His eyes unfocused as he consulted an internal timetable, muttering to himself quietly."The curtain goes up in ten minutes.Crystal doesn't come on until the end of the second scene..."He looked up at Jerry, eyes narrowed."I don't suppose you have a stand-in for Jessica, do you?"

Sheepishly, Jerry shook his head.He looked back up as Davis began to swear very creatively in two different languages."What about Nicole?" Jerry asked."We've all seen her rehearse with Cale, so I know she knows the play-"

"No."Logan's immediate reply cut the older man off sharply."She can't do it."

"Cale-" Jerry began.

"I said no.She'll tell you the same thing."He held up a hand, anticipating Jerry's protest."Ask her if you want, but that's what her answer will be.Trust me on this one.She is _not_ going to be in this play."

"_Absolutely not_." Max stated firmly as she looked up at Jerry and Davis.They had sent Debbie to fetch her from the audience, and now she sat before them in Davis' office.Logan was leaning up against the wall, an 'I told you so' look on his face as he regarded the other two men."Do whatever it is that you need to do to get Crystal sober enough to do the play, because I won't do it."

"Why not?" Davis asked.

Max didn't answer.She stared at him for a moment, then looked significantly at Jerry.

Davis immediately caught her meaning and turned to address the director."Jerry, go help Debbie with Crystal.Get her ready to go on.I don't care how you do it, just do it."Completely missing the fact that he had just been dismissed, Jerry nodded and left the room.

Davis leaned back in his chair and watched as Logan closed the door behind the director and propped himself up against it.He and Max were speaking volumes in the looks they shared, and Davis was more than ready to hear the truth from the couple.

Before either one could speak, Davis leaned forward, his hands steepled before him."Ok, I have some theories here, based on what I've seen in the past couple of weeks, so hear me out," he said into the silence.

"Living in Seattle is a man who used to be an elitist snob, but ended up joining the fight against evil as a very capable journalist.A journalist who probably manages to get himself in shit up to his eyebrows on a fairly regular basis.So regularly, in fact, that he has need of bodyguards.One bodyguard, in particular, has the added benefit of military training and a talent for acquisition, all packaged very nicely in an unpretentious frame."

"When I arrived in Seattle, I happened to catch a broadcast of the city's masked cyber-crusader for Truth, Justice and the American Way.Now, if I were a betting man, I would say that this journalist and his very gifted bodyguard are more than they seem to be.So much so, that when traveling, they must travel under assumed identities.The bodyguard, for some reason, must be careful not to be seen by large groups of people, especially when those large groups may include the media."

He looked at both of them, noting that they were both very careful to keep their expressions neutral."Am I correct in my assumptions?"

Logan shared a brief look with Max before answering."Rich-" he began.

A knock interrupted Logan as Debbie tried to open the door.Logan moved away from it as the stage manager poked her head inside."Curtain is in two minutes.We need Cale onstage now.Crystal is coherent again, so Jerry decided to go ahead and start."

Logan looked at his friend, debating on what to tell him and how to let Max know what to tell him."We'll discuss Justice League theories another time," he finally temporized.He glanced at Max, trying to convey to her that her role in the story was to be told at her discretion."Anything else is not mine to divulge."

Max nodded in understanding.Logan grinned at her and left the small office, following Debbie down the hall.

Turning her attention back to Davis, Max smiled slightly."You are correct that this bodyguard can't be seen, especially in a situation like this.I… I worked for some very bad people at one point, but I managed to escape."Max shrugged as she gazed back on her haunted past."These are people that would stop at nothing to have me back in their control."She looked back up at Davis."It's a moot point, now, because Crystal is going on, but I thought you'd like to know my reasons."

"Thank you," Davis inclined his head."I'm still looking forward to talking theories with Cale, though, don't get me wrong.All this subterfuge sounds like the makings of a good action-packed T.V. adventure show."

"Ri-ight." Max laughed and shook her head."No one would buy such a premise.It's too far fetched."

Davis grinned at her."You're probably right.C'mon, let's go watch a play."

~*~*~*~*~*~

** **

**Author's Note**: Fwiw, the "199 Challenge" is real, although known by a different name.I'd like to thank (blame) Ryan, Clay, and Maia for the horrible jokes, puns, and "groaner" high falls.I'd like to especially thank Ryan for not tossing me off the tower for my "addition" to his show, although I have learned how to do high falls just for that reason.


	8. Showtime!

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim that I own Dark Angel, I don't cjudkins cjudkins 16 86 2001-10-16T01:13:00Z 2001-10-20T17:05:00Z 14 13677 77959 Smith-Gardner 649 155 95739 9.2720 > 

**Author's Note:** At long last, the final chapter of this fic.  I'd like to give a big Thank You to all of the readers out there who have been pestering asking me for this final chapter and who have been patient enough with me to believe me when I kept saying that I was working on it.  I never expected such an overwhelming response, and it has been greatly appreciated.  Now, on to the disclaimers.  I am not a genetic scientist.  I don't even play one on T.V.  My entire repertoire of knowledge came from an encyclopedia with a copyright year of 1978 and from making Heather put on her biologist hat and beta this for me at least 3 times.  This last chapter has taken so long because I like to base my science-fiction in science-fact (unlike the liberties that a unnamed T.V. show takes from week to week).  If you discover any genetic/biological/medical faux pas that I've made, it means that you've read far too much into this.  There's only enough room for a limited number of anal people in the world, and Heather and I have already taken up two slots.  Now, on to my specific Thank You messages, that are so greatly deserved.

**Dani **:This is what you get for reading a fic before it's finished.  You were lucky that you received the fic after Meg and Heather had a chance to dig into it; there wasn't much left to beta.  Just wait until I start writing something new…. ;-)

**Moni **: Even with starting a new semester at a new school, you made the time to send in your comments.  Thanks ever so much.  Oh, btw, did Ryan ever survive your birthday celebration?

**Meg** : Thank you for giving me the Max post-pulse slang I need to keep her from sounding like Logan.  And thank you again for initially requesting all the 'sensory input' back on your very first review.  I'm honored that you agreed to beta this for me when I was just one of those new writers with only a couple of fics to my name.

**Heather**: What can I say?  You went above and beyond for this latest chapter, even to the point of digging out your old schoolbooks and putting on your biologist hat.  I probably could've gotten away with calling ATP a nucleotide and with letting everything be related to a faulty ribose unit, but you managed to help me work in a plausible (if not probable) scenario that still fit with my original idea.  With your assistance, this fic has gone over into the spectacular range.  My thanks are not nearly enough.

Now, on to the final installment (unless I do get talked into doing an epilogue)

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages."

--Shakespeare, As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 8 – Showtime!

Act I

     Max slid into her seat just as the lights in the theatre began to dim.  Next to her, Leslie flashed her a quick smile and Alan grinned as she sat back with a quiet sigh.  They were in the fifth row, slightly to the left of center stage.  A gentle hush fell over the crowd as the auditorium was plunged into darkness.  Max could hear the faint scrape of wood upon wood as Brad settled himself into the desk chair, only moments before the curtain was swiftly drawn open and the stage was bathed in light.

_     Brad studied the papers he held, one hand absently tapping out a quick tattoo on the desk's marred surface.  He looked up as the phone on his desk buzzed irritatingly._

_     "Captain MacArren is here to see you, Colonel Tarken." An anonymous voice reported._

_     Brad leaned forward and tapped the intercom button.  "Send him in."  He returned his attention to his papers._

_     The _tap-tap-tap_ of a cane striking the floor heralded the approach of his visitor.  Brad looked up as the man stopped five feet in front of the desk and saluted crisply._

_     "You wanted to see me, Sir?" Logan asked._

_     "At ease, MacArren."  Brad gathered up the papers and tapped them into a neat pile.  "I've received word that your latest research has perked the interest of some very important people out in D.C."  He glanced down at the papers in front of him and fingered through them until he found the one he was looking for.  "Persuasive arguments," he read. "Well-defined thought processes.  That's just a few of the responses written here." He brandished the paper at Logan and leaned forward in his chair._

_     "They're making you an offer, MacArren.  The chance to take the next step in DNA sequencing and work with some of the top scientists this country has to offer.  It's called Project Phoenix.  Top-secret clearance.  If you're interested, I'm to give you this package."  He held up a sealed envelope.  "If you decide you're not interested, I'm to burn it without opening it."_

_     Logan exhaled sharply, absently switching his cane to his other hand.  "Is there anymore information you can give me on the project, Sir?"_

_     Brad grimaced slightly.  "Not much.  Can't even tell you where it's located, because I don't know.  Somewhere out west, I believe."  He frowned at the envelope he held in his hands.  "You'd be upgraded to an Alpha-two clearance, which means you would breath, sleep, eat, and shit nothing but Project Phoenix.  Total immersion."  Brad shook his head.  "I'm not trying to talk you out of this, or into it.  On one hand, it's the assignment of a lifetime.  On the other hand, it's a lifetime assignment."_

_     Logan stared down at the floor, then looked back up.  "What… what would you do, Colonel?"_

_     Brad sighed heavily and ran one hand through his artificially-silvered hair.  "I honestly can't answer that.  I have a wife and kids to think about.  This is a young man's assignment; meant for someone who doesn't have ties or who doesn't mind breaking them."_

_     Logan nodded in understanding.  "Is there a time limit, Sir?"_

_     "Twenty-four hours."_

_     "That's not a lot of time, Colonel."_

_     "No, it's not," Brad replied.  "I need an answer by fifteen-hundred hours tomorrow."  Brad smiled slightly.  "It's a big decision.  Take the rest of the day off and think about it, MacArren."_

_     Logan smiled absently.  "I… I will, Sir.  Thank you."_

     The lights that had been shining on the Colonel's office gradually faded, leaving a single spotlight focused on Captain Michael MacArren as he turned away and began slowly making his way across the stage.  It was obvious that his thoughts were troubled as he returned to his own office.  Mutely, he stopped in the doorway and looked around, as if seeing the place for the first time.  As the lights were slowly brought up to highlight the area, it was apparent that Captain Michael MacArren was alone in the world.  The walls were fairly stark; decorated solely by a large clock and what appeared to be several medical degrees.  No pictures of family or friends or even beloved pets adorned any of the walls.  Logan slowly walked into the office and past the desk, regarding the certificates.  As he took one down to look at it, an aide, wearing a white lab coat over green fatigues, knocked on the frame of the door.

_     Logan slowly turned around and glanced up at the sound._

_     "What'd the old man have to say?" the aide, a young man named Joey, asked._

_     Logan shrugged and glanced at the degree he held in his hands.  "Apparently, some bigwig in D.C. has finally noticed what we're doing down here.  I've been offered a transfer to work on some project they have going on somewhere."_

_     Joey smiled.  "Great!  It's about time someone realized that we're not just a crazy bunch of Frankenstein scientists.  You could actually make a name for us.  You gonna take the assignment?"_

_     "I don't know.  It's all very top-secret.  I don't know if I like the sound of that."_

_     Joey snorted.  "You always were more Moral than Military.  Since when is anything the government does NOT top-secret at one point or other?  Playing mysterious is probably the only way they can get their funding."  Joey crossed his arms and regarded Logan for a moment.  "What else is bothering you about this?"_

_     Logan laid the certificate on the desk and shook his head. "I don't know.  Somehow, I got the feeling that there was more to it than the old man was letting on, ya know?  It was like he was trying to tell me something, without really telling me anything."_

_    "Whoa.  Now you're getting strange.  You're probably reading way too much into it.  It's just another assignment to further our research.  It's not like anyone is actually out there trying to splice tuna fish and elephant DNA, just to get a bigger piece of sushi.  This is all theoretical.  We're years away from putting any of this to practical use.  You're just worrying too much."_

_     Logan chuckled and smiled slightly.  "You're right.  This is the chance we've all been waiting for.  I'd be a fool to pass it up."  Turning back to his desk, Logan picked up the phone and punched in an extension.  After a brief moment, he spoke into the receiver.  "Colonel Tarken, Sir, I've made my decision.  I'll take the assignment."_

     The auditorium was plummeted into darkness as the first scene ended.  With her enhanced vision, Max could see both Logan and Joey make their way into the wings as the stage crew rushed out and began to rearrange the set.  In almost no time at all, the lights came back up, highlighting another office set, which was actually a reversed setting of Colonel Tarken's office.

     A large man, wearing a crisp white shirt and black tie, was seated behind the desk.  His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing several tattoos along his forearms.  He appeared to be going through some paperwork, and was completely ignoring the office's other occupant, who paced impatiently back and forth.  The second man was tall and thin, his bald head gleaming in the light as he moved.  His clothing was almost the twin of the seated man's, with the exception that his tie was decorated with red geometrical shapes.  Loudly clearing his throat, the man behind the desk caught the other man's attention before pointing to a chair.  Sighing heavily, the bald man began to sit, only to jump back up to his feet as a brief knock sounded on the office door.  Grunting his permission to enter, the first man put away whatever he was working on and folded his hands on the desk in front of him.

     Max smiled as Logan walked into the "office" and faced the two men with a sharp salute.  Now that the first scene was over and done with, Logan looked more at ease in the role he was playing.  After a brief 'Welcome to Project Phoenix' speech by the man sitting behind the desk, the conversation slowly turned to the actual purpose of Captain MacArren's assignment to the project.  The third man watched mutely as Logan and the commanding officer tossed terminology back and forth between them.  The DNA sequencing theories they discussed were a mixture of actual research that was being done back in '06 and something one of the other actors had called 'technobabble'.  Max had to admit to herself; Logan had definitely done his homework when he wrote the original story.  If she didn't know as much as she did about DNA sequencing, she would probably believe the stuff the three men were currently spouting.

     This was the scene that really set up most of the plot; Michael was told enough to know that some of his theories had been practically applied in controlled tests and that the results received were not those expected.  His job now was to determine what went wrong with the process.

     This was also the scene where Jessica was introduced, posing as a one of the group of aides to the scientists and researchers.  Max leaned forward slightly in her seat, wondering if Crystal was sober enough to perform.  As the woman walked slowly on to the stage, Max released the breath she hadn't realized that she had been holding.

     "What the hell is the matter with Crystal?" Alan immediately whispered, leaning forward across Leslie to look at Max.

     "She came in drunk," Max replied quietly.

     "She looks like she's about to be sick," Leslie stated matter-of-factly.

     Alan snorted softly, then grinned when another audience member glared at him.  "Wouldn't that be something?" he asked in an even softer voice.  "It'd definitely ruin the 'love at first sight if we'd only admit it' meeting between Michael and Jessica, wouldn't it?"  He grinned at both women.

     Max smiled as Leslie lightly punched Alan in the arm with a whispered command to keep quiet.  _Horking on your co-star is not an endearing quality_, Max silently agreed as she turned her attention back to the play.  The C.O. had just ordered Jessica to show Michael around and get him acquainted with how the project functioned.  Crystal blushed and studied the ground, then nodded her acquiescence with a soft "Yes, Sir".  She and Logan kept stealing glances at each other, each hoping that the other wouldn't notice, as the C.O. droned on about schedules and procedures.

     _Funny.  I really like her playing a more subdued Jessica_, Max thought as the scene came to a close and the lights went out.  _She isn't nearly as blatant as she has been during rehearsal.  Getting drunk has actually improved her performance_.  She shook her head and smiled.  _Who'd a thunk it_?

     The medical set took up only about a third of the stage and consisted of a single examination table (which was used as a counter for most of the scenes), several computer monitors around a main console, and a small desk with another monitor and keyboard.  The set was bisected by what was supposed to be a large observation window.  Through the window, several medical tables were apparent, lending the impression that the room was much bigger than what was actually seen.  The medical set was placed on the rotating section of the stage.  This way, when the action moved to the other side of the observation screen, the stage would rotate so that the audience could see what was going on.  For this scene, though, the medical set was positioned so that the observation window was upstage from the actors.

     Twelve individuals, all dressed in fatigues and standing stiffly at attention, lined the stage in three rows of four across.  Their attention was riveted on their commanding officer as he instructed them about something or other.  To one side of the group, Logan approached the officer, drawing his attention away from his students.  With a smile, Logan engaged the C.O. in conversation, the two men absently traversing the stage as they spoke.

     Crystal stood in the rightmost position in the first line, watching as Cale paced back and forth in front of them.  She closed her eyes briefly, only to snap them back open when the world began to swim behind her eyelids.  Breathing shallowly through her mouth, she forced herself to focus on a dark, non-moving, point in the audience.  Cale's constant motion was making her ill, and she had no intention of disgracing herself even further.  It was bad enough that Debbie had to hold her head under a cold faucet, for God's sake.  Crystal breathed a soft sigh of relief when Ron walked onto the stage and Cale stopped his pacing to address the other man.  As the three men moved to the other side of the stage, the lights dimmed so that they were the only figures to be seen, leaving Crystal and the others in darkness.

     Knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before the lights would come back up, Crystal fanned herself briefly, trying to cool her overheated blood.  Usually, the culprit was nerves and the heat of the stage lights, but tonight, the alcohol she had consumed earlier was compounding the problem.  The absence of light shining directly on her was a blessed relief.  Absently, she listened on the conversation between Cale and Ron as they discussed how human DNA could be altered to create a better human.  Cale, as Michael, argued that such an application should be applied to curing diseases and introducing a new level of health in human beings.  He brought up such points as the human cloning issue that was hotly debated back in '01, and how stem cell research was well on its way to curing such things as paralysis.

     On the other side of the coin, Ron, as Brandon, another scientist, argued that DNA sequencing would actually weaken the human race in the long run by eliminating the rule of survival of the fittest.  His point being that by manually controlling the process, the research didn't allow the human race the chance to evolve naturally and to manufacture its own answer to sickness and disease.  Tinkering at the genetic level, he stated, could easily be the downfall of the human race when we come up against an illness that we might have built up a tolerance or immunity to had we not bypassed that evolutionary stage.

     As their friendly argument began to cite such historical references such as Dolly, the cloned sheep, Hitler's attempt at creating a 'master race', the mapping of the human genome, and their own thoughts about the 'Perfect Human', the lights slowly began to come back up on the group of twelve individuals that still stood at attention.  Cale and Ron looked over at them and began to slowly walk forward, still talking animatedly.

_     Absently nodding to something that Ron had said, Logan gazed at Crystal, only breaking the heated glance when he and Ron passed by the lovely, strawberry-blonde woman._

_     Ron grinned at Logan's obvious interest.  "She is something, isn't she?"_

_     Logan glanced at Ron, then back at Crystal.  He watched in silence as the officer escorted the soldiers past them.  Crystal's glance met his once again, briefly, and then she was gone.  Logan absently sighed.  "If I were to name a perfect woman, I think it would have to be Jessica."_

_     Ron turned to look after the military aides, then back at his new friend.  The lights on the stage started to fade as Brandon shook his head.  "Michael, you have no idea how close to the truth you really are."_

     The next part was a scene that impressed Max to no end.  She didn't pretend to understand it when Jerry first attempted to describe it to her, but when she finally saw it presented on stage, it made perfect sense.  The scene was set in such a way that Michael's office, which was normally open to the audience, was hidden behind a light screen and backlit by a powerful spotlight.  This allowed an individual to move freely around the set without being identifiable to the audience as anything other than a silhouetted figure.  The scene was intended to impart that a great length of time had passed since Captain Michael MacArren's arrival at Project Phoenix.  As the shadowy figure sat at the desk, busily writing, Logan's pre-recorded voice floated softly over the auditorium's sound system.  The silhouette was supposed to be Michael, sitting in his office as he made entries into his private journal.  In actuality, the man sitting at the desk was another actor who matched Logan in size and stature, allowing Logan to essentially be in two places at once as he acted out the scenes his voice over was describing.  The stage lighting flickered back and forth between Michael's office, the bunkhouse, and the medical set, all neatly timed with each journal entry.

     As the first sentence of Michael's journal entry was voiced, the spotlight on the silhouetted figure slowly faded, until the office set was nothing more than background scenery.  At the same time, the medical center set was bathed in an ever-increasing wash of light.  Standing there, Ron and a few other nameless scientists were focused on an overhead display of a computerized microscope that Logan was manipulating.  To one side of the men, Crystal held a tray of slides, handing them to Logan as needed.

     "I've been working on Project Phoenix for about five months now", Logan's voiceover stated, as Crystal handed Logan another slide. "We've made some progress as to why the DNA chains keep unraveling, for want of a better term, but we're nowhere near close to finding the answers we're looking for.  The thing is, I still get the feeling that there's a piece of the puzzle that I'm missing.  Everyone else, including Brandon, accepts all the genetic work we're attempting as basic fact; work that my old group understood as nothing more than theory, but I have yet to see any empirical data that would support these beliefs.  Brandon, at least, is willing to discuss genetic theories, but when it comes to the work we're doing now, he's as good as the others are at skirting the issue.  If I didn't know better, I would say that they are intentionally keeping me in the dark.  Crazy thinking, I know, but I can't shake the feeling that it's true."

     On stage, Logan looked up at Crystal as he held out one hand for the next slide.  As she passed it to him, he let his fingers linger on hers a bit longer than was necessary.  Startled, she met his gaze, her eyes wide with surprise.  Logan smiled at her and was rewarded with a brief smile in response as she relinquished the slide.  As if she suddenly realized that she had dropped her guard, Crystal snapped back to attention and returned her gaze to a spot above Logan's head.  

     "On another note, I have yet to determine how Jessica and the other eleven 'aides' that our group has been assigned fit into all of this," the voiceover continued.  "Sometimes, the other researchers treat them as if they are beneath notice and other times, they are treated as if they are the answer to all our questions.  Oddly enough, even when the other scientists deign to notice them, the attitude is cold and clinical and even, in some extreme cases, condescending.  Even Brandon treats them this way, although not as badly as some of the others.  I've never heard Jessica voice one word of complaint to anyone, though.  She is really amazing."

     "You can see here," Logan pointed to an area on the overhead display, "there's an unnatural buildup of ATP.  The molecules aren't releasing their third phosphate.  There must be a coding glitch somewhere in the ATP synthase," Logan sighed and sat back,  "but I'll be damned as to what's causing it."

     Ron chuckled as he studied the display.  "It's so obvious.  I don't know why we didn't see it."  He clapped one hand on Logan's shoulder.  "Great work, Michael."

     The other doctors murmured agreement with Ron's statement, but Logan appeared not to notice as he continued to study the display.  Ron reached out and pressed a button on Logan's keyboard, then walked over to the printer.  Plucking a sheet out of the tray, Ron glanced over it, then handed it to one of the other scientists.

     "I'm going to get group two started on analyzing this data, then we'll pick it up again tomorrow," Ron stated.

     Logan grunted absently in response, his attention still focused on the screen in front of him.  Ron chuckled again as he and the other scientists left the set, leaving Logan behind with Crystal.

     With a frustrated sigh, Logan sat back once more and ran a hand through his hair.

     "Are you done here, Captain?" Crystal asked as she began to straighten up the clutter that littered the set.

     "What? Oh, yeah, I guess I am."  Logan wearily pushed himself away from the desk and began shutting down the system.  "I don't think I'm going to accomplish much staring at the screen all night."  He reached for a vial at the same time that Crystal's hand closed on it.  Both froze in mid-motion as their hands touched.  Slowly, Logan stood, his hand lingering on hers before relinquishing the vial.

     Crystal's gaze never left Logan's face as she accepted the vial from him.  They stood staring at each other for several seconds, barely more than a foot apart.  Slowly, as if he might scare her away, Logan reached up to gently stroke Crystal's cheek.  She leaned into the caress, sighing softly.  Logan smiled, then bent his head forward, ready to capture her lips with his own.  The sound of Ron re-entering the set made them both jump apart.  Hastily, Crystal backed away from Logan, returning to her cleaning task.

     "Thought you were going to call it a night," Ron stated, seemingly unaware of what his entrance had interrupted.

     "Yeah, I am," Logan replied.  "I was just shutting everything down."

     Ron looked around and nodded.  "Not much left to do here.  Jessica can finish it, right?"  The last part of his sentence was addressed to Crystal.

     She looked up, a flash of anger in her eyes that was quickly smothered.  "Yes, sir.  I can finish up here."

     Ron smiled slightly.  "Great."  He started for the exit, then turned back and looked at Logan expectantly.

     With a soft sigh, Logan grabbed his cane.  His gaze caught Crystal's, briefly, as he followed Ron off the stage.

     Behind them, Crystal watched them go before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

     The medical set was plummeted into darkness as the silhouetted figure was once again lit up.

_     "Seven months have passed since I joined Project Phoenix, and I'm only slightly closer to understanding what is really going on here.  Case in point, I overheard something really strange the other day.  Brandon was talking on a cell phone to someone named Jay, who I think may have been leading some type of protest outside our gates earlier this week.  I didn't hear much about it, as the protest was quickly suppressed, but I heard enough to know that the people involved believe that we're in here playing God.  At first, I thought the protest was just the result of some anti-science group that managed to get their feathers all ruffled, but now, I'm not so sure.  When I confronted Brandon about it, he looked almost relieved, as if I had finally asked him the right question.  We arranged to meet later that day, so he could bring me up to speed with what was going on, when tragedy struck."_

     The spotlight on Michael's office was suddenly darkened as the medical set blazed into life.  Logan sat at the main console, occasionally entering commands on a keyboard as he studied the overhead display.  Behind him, Crystal and Brad (who was now playing one of the other aides), were standing at the island table carefully transferring test tube vials from one holder to another.

     As Brad handed Crystal the next vial, he frowned slightly.  He doubted it was obvious to the audience, but she was quite pale underneath her make-up.  Catching her eye, he angled his head so that his face was out of view.  "You ok?" he silently mouthed the question at her.

     Crystal sighed softly, then nodded almost imperceptibly.  She flashed Brad a feeble smile and held her hand out as she waited for him to hand her another vial.

     Crystal gasped softly as Brad's hand suddenly spasmed.  Grabbing the vials he was holding to prevent them from falling to the floor, she glanced quickly over her shoulder at Logan, then back at Brad, a questioning look on her face.  Frantically, Brad shook his head as he clasped the offending limb close to his body.  As the shaking began to subside, Brad sighed deeply and graced Crystal with a weak smile.  She smiled back, relieved.  Another glance at Logan revealed that he had been completely oblivious to the entire event.  Brad picked up another case of vials and motioned for Crystal to precede him as they made their way over to Logan.

_     A loud crashing sound, as the vials fell to the floor, caused both Crystal and Logan to spin around to face Brad, who had fallen to the floor._

_     "Ryan!" Crystal screamed as she rushed to his side.  Setting her own case aside, she pulled the large man halfway into her lap, calling his name.  As her hand brushed his forehead, she looked up at Logan.  "He's burning up."_

_     Before Logan could even get out of his chair, doctors began pouring in to the room from other areas.  Shouting instructions to each other, they quickly lifted Brad up and carried him upstage and through the door that led to the next room.  Slowly, the entire set began to rotate, until the observation window, which had been the upstage background for all the previous scenes, was now perpendicular to the audience.  On one side, Logan and Crystal stood in shocked silence.  On the other side, the doctors scurried around Brad's prone figure as they worked.  Their voices echoed through the auditorium, punctuated by the incessant beeping and chirping of machines as Brad was hooked into the monitoring system._

_     "Temperature 105.1 and rising."_

_     "Heart rate 147."_

_     "We've gotta cool him down!  Is the trough ready yet?"_

_     "Brain activity is off the scale."_

_     On the other side of the large observation window, Logan watched the scene unfold before him, a look of concern evident marring his handsome face.  He glanced over at Crystal, noting the firm set of her shoulders as she gazed steadily through the glass.  He moved so that he was standing behind her and tentatively placed his hands on her arms in a not-quite hug.  Crystal touched one hand to the glass that separated her from Ryan, shaking her head sadly as the sounds from the machines seemed to increase in tempo with each passing second._

_     "He's going into arrest!"_

_     "The trough is here!  Get him in!"_

_     Brad was lifted off of the table and placed into the low, clear-plastic trough that had just been wheeled onto the set.  Multiple bags of 'ice' were opened and dumped over his prone figure._

_     "Temperature still rising!  106.7."_

_     "We're losing him….."_

_     "Heart rate 159!"_

_     Inside the trough, Brad began thrashing wildly._

_     "He's seizing!"_

_     Abruptly, Brad clutched at the edges of the container, then went limp.  A loud, flatline tone echoed across the now silent stage as the doctors all stared mutely at the body.  One doctor finally reached out and switched off a monitor, silencing its mournful wail.  As if her action were a signal, the rest of the doctors began moving around the room._

_     "Call it," someone ordered._

_     "Time of death…" The female doctor glanced up at the large clock on the wall.  "Fourteen twenty-three."_

_     Another doctor, this one male, pulled his mask off his face and looked around.  "Ok, folks, let's prep for autopsy and harvest what we can.  I want to get a full report on the C.O.'s desk by nineteen hundred hours."_

     None too carefully, the doctors lifted Brad out of the trough and placed him back on the examination table.  Masks were slipped back on as, one by one, the doctors turned their attention towards the new task at hand, descending like vultures on Brad's still figure.

     On the other side of the glass, Crystal turned into Logan's waiting arms and buried her face in his shoulder.  Silently, he held her as her muffled sobs echoed through the auditorium.

     Darkness descended on the medical set as Michael's office was dimly lit.  The faint scrape of movement was the only indication that the set was being changed as once again, Logan's voice floated softly though the air.

_     "The worst part about the whole thing with Ryan was the callous way the doctors dealt with the death.  This was a person that they had been working next to, day in and day out, for years.  Yet his death was nothing more to them than a report that had to get filed._

     A muted glow began to filter through the newly set-up bunkhouse set.  Six bunk cots were situated in two groups of three, at a slight angle as they progressed up stage.  Standing, crouching, and sitting forlornly in the space between the two rows were ten solemn-faced individuals.  They looked up as one when Crystal entered the area.  She paused, then shook her head sadly as she moved to join the others.  Together, they moved towards the lower bunk at the front right of the stage and began to methodically strip it down.

_     Crystal smiled sorrowfully at one of the other girls as she handed her the bed's only blanket.  "Ryan knew how you're always cold at night, Dee.  He'd want you to have this."_

_     The other girl smiled softly, then looked up as Logan quietly entered the area, holding a small package in his free hand.  Almost as a single unit, the other aides melted back into the shadows, leaving Logan and Crystal standing on the stage.  Crystal paused for a moment, then continued with her self-assigned task._

_     "You shouldn't be here," she said into the silence._

_     "I … I wanted to offer my condolences."  He held out the package towards her._

_     Crystal looked up and studied him for a moment, ignoring the box he held.  "Why?"  Her tone was angry, accusatory._

_     "Why?" Logan repeated, incredulous._

_     "Yes.  Why?  Why do you care?  Ryan wasn't the first.  He probably won't be the last."  She threw down the pillow she was holding and fixed him with a hostile glare.  "Is this a new psych evaluation test?  To see how we react to a human display of commiseration?"_

_     "A test?  What the hell are you talking about?"_

_     "I'm talking about the reason you're here!" She nearly shouted into his face.  "You don't see any of the other doctors around, offering us pity, do you?"_

_     Logan took a deep breath before replying, obviously trying to soothe her anger.  "I'm here because I've been working with Ryan for over seven months.  I can't say that I knew him well, but I'm not some callous jerk who isn't affected by his death."_

_     "The only way you're affected is the fact that another test just blew up in your face!"  She glared angrily at him, the telltale glitter of tears welling up in her light blue eyes.  "He never meant anything to you.  None of us do."  Turning away from him, Crystal stormed over towards the bunk on the opposite side of the stage.  She dropped her head against the cool metal frame as she fought to regain control._

_     By Logan's bewildered expression, he didn't understand her continuous references to tests.  Slowly, he walked up behind her, his cane lightly tapping on the stage floor.  "Jess…"  Logan let the sentence trail off.  His shoulders slumped wearily as he watched the young woman.  Taking another deep breath, Logan placed one hand on her shoulder.  "Jess, I really am sorry about Ryan.  I'm not like the others."_

_     Crystal whirled around to face him, a sharp retort on her lips, when her eyes widened.  She opened her mouth, as if to say her line, then closed it quickly.  Placing one hand over her lips, she muttered a soft "Excuse me" and ran off the stage._

     Logan watched her leave, eyes wide in complete disbelief and shock.  It was the moment he had been dreading.  Crystal was supposed to have said her next line, which would lead into him giving her the teddy bear, but instead, she had run off stage.  He looked into the wings where she had disappeared and saw Davis indicating for him to keep going.  His throat was suddenly dry as he desperately looked at the other actors on the stage.  Thankfully, Joey began to slowly move towards him.

_     "Sorry about Jessica," the young man ad-libbed.  "Ryan's death affected her more than she lets on.  She was kinda close to him."_

_     "How close?" Logan heard himself ask.  In the wings, he saw Davis motioning for them to keep the scene going.  "Was he like a brother to her or something?"_

_     Joey smiled slightly, pleased that Logan was able to continue the impromptu conversation.  "Yeah, I guess you could say that."_

_     Logan looked around at the rest of the actors on the stage.  "The way you all interact with each other, it's almost as if you're a family.  Siblings, if you will." Logan was amazed at the words that were coming out of his mouth.  Silently, he thanked the fates for knowing how Max thought of her fellow X5s.  It was her love for her siblings that gave Logan the material he needed to finish out the scene._

_     Joey shrugged.  "Siblings.  I like the sound of that.  Yeah, I guess you could say that we consider ourselves to be siblings."_

_     "So, Ryan was like a brother to Jessica."_

_     Joey allowed himself to grin at the firmness in Logan's tone.  It was obvious to the younger man that he was attempting to make Michael appear to be trying to milk information about Jessica from the other aides, without giving away the fact that he was supposed to be interested in her.  Silently, Joey applauded Logan's astute choice of conversation topics.  It fit in with the theme of the play perfectly.  Before he could reply to Logan, Crystal slowly walked back onto the stage.  Both men turned to watch her as she approached._

_     "I… I'm sorry.  I was … overcome … for a moment."  She squared her shoulders and assumed a stoic military stance, gazing blankly out into the audience, as if she were awaiting a reprimand._

_     "It's ok, Jess, really," Logan said softly.  "Ryan was like a brother to you, and it's hard to lose a family member like that."_

_     Crystal shot him a quick look, then turned to face forward again.  Quietly, Joey slipped back to stand with the other actors, leaving Logan and Crystal to finish the scene by themselves.  Realizing that the 'brother' scenario was the way that Joey and Cale had covered her abrupt departure, Crystal nodded slowly.  "Yes… like a brother to me.  Thank you for understanding."_

_     Logan looked down at the package he was still holding and held it towards here.  "Here.  I know that this is completely inadequate, but I was hoping that it might make you feel a little bit better."  Logan breathed a slow sigh of relief as he managed to return to the play's actual dialogue.  Only one more scene to go after this one and act one would be over.  For him, it wouldn't be nearly soon enough._

_     Crystal slowly turned towards him, took the box out of his hands and opened it up.  Without a word, she pulled out a small stuffed teddy bear.  She studied it in silence for a second, then glanced back up at Logan._

_     Slowly, silently, the other aides had moved forward, open curiosity on their faces as they waited for Crystal's response to the gift.  Crystal's eyes flickered from one face to the next, engulfed in confusion and embarrassment.  Finally looking back at Logan, she nodded curtly.  "Thank you for the gift, Captain MacArren."_

_     Logan hesitated, then nodded back at her.  "You're welcome, Jessica."  He looked around at the other aides, as if he had more to say, but wasn't quite willing to voice his thoughts.  With another nod, Logan turned and exited the stage the way he had entered._

_     Almost as one, the other aides descended on Crystal the instant Logan was off stage, surrounding her in a semi-circle of staring faces._

_     "He likes you," the girl playing Dee insisted.  "Just like in that play, 'Romeo and Juliet', that the old nurse snuck in to us that one time."_

_     "He's just being nice," Crystal replied tartly.  She pushed her way past the others and moved towards a small trashcan that stood innocently next to one of the bunks.  With a flourish, Crystal, dropped the teddy bear into the container._

_     "Why'd you do that?" Joey asked._

_     Crystal shrugged.  "It's probably just another test.  You know how those doctors are."_

_     Another girl, Kathy, shook her head.  "I don't know, Jess.  This one seems different, somehow.  I think Dee is right.  I think he likes you."_

_     "Well, I don't like him!" Crystal shouted.  "Now, leave me alone."  Angrily, Crystal turned her back on her newly named siblings, listening as they slowly backed away from her, grumbling under their breath.  Once the last one had left, Crystal sank down wearily on to the bunk, shoulders slumped.  She picked up the pillow she had tossed down earlier and hugged it to her chest, her expression unhappy.  As she shifted her position on the bunk, her foot absently kicked the trashcan containing the bear.  Looking over her shoulder guiltily, Crystal reached down and pulled the teddy bear out of the container.  She held it in her hands for several moments, absently staring at it._

_     "I don't like him!" she furiously told the stuffed animal as she started to throw the it away again.  Stopping herself at the last moment, Crystal regarded the bear yet again.  With a soft sigh, she set the pillow back on the bed and hugged the bear to her chest.  "Well, I don't!" she insisted as the bunkhouse set was abruptly plunged into darkness._

     A soft spotlight illuminated the set that was Michael's office, displaying the shadowy figure of Michael at his desk once again.  

_     I must admit, I refused to believe what Brandon was telling me at first.  Despite all my trials, and that of my former team, we were still decades away from accomplishing what he was insisting had already been done.  No wonder we had groups outside our gates, protesting that we were in here playing God.  We were.  We had created our Frankenstein creatures.  The only reason I was brought into the project was because my theories were flawed somehow.  They weren't interested in applying genetics for the good of the human race; they were more interested in making their own master race.  One huge conspiracy, designed to absorb my knowledge and put it to use, all without ever letting me in on the truth.  They were all in on it, too, Jessica, Ryan, all of them.  I've worked side by side with these people for over seven months, yet not one saw fit to enlighten me on what I was really working on._

     As the spotlight on Michael's office faded, another spotlight slowly began to illuminate the area across from the office set.  It was a small corner of the lab set, and the light upon it barely revealed two, indistinguishable figures.  As the sound of Logan's voice trailed off, the lab was bathed in a gentle light.

_     "Whaddya mean, I may not be able to leave?"  Logan glared at Ron across the lab table._

_     Ron made shushing motions as he looked around anxiously, hoping that no one had overheard the older man's angry outburst.  "Do you honestly think that they're going to just let you walk out of here if they know that you know what's really going on?" he asked.  Logan frowned.  Ron leaned forward, pressing the point he was trying to make.  "You've seen the protestors.  You know the value of the research we're doing, and the impact it's going to have on the entire world when it's finally out.  Do you really believe that you could just transfer to another base if they realized you've discovered what they're doing?  Think about it, MacArren, really think about it."_

_     Logan tapped his hand angrily on the table.  "Shit," he finally said._

_     Ron nodded.  "You were better off not knowing, which is why no one was allowed to say anything to you.  If you're lucky, they won't realize that you know, and you'll be able to get out.  Oh, sure, you'll be watched like a hawk, but you won't be stuck on Project Phoenix for the rest of your life."_

_     "My work is my life.  Everything that's been done here is a result of my work, but with a megalomaniacal twist.  My work has always been intended to save lives, not create some genetically-superior killer."  Logan shook his head angrily and began to pace.  He turned to face Ron and begin another tirade when Crystal walked in to the lab._

_     Concentrating on an imaginary space somewhere between the two men, Crystal came to an abrupt halt.  "Dr. Malluck, Sir.  The Red Team reports that they have identified a possible deviation in one of the genetic markers, and are requesting your presence, Sir."_

_     Ron nodded at her and stood.  He shot Logan an unreadable look as he headed for the door._

_     Logan glared after the other man, then turned his attention to Crystal.  She returned his gaze stoically, but her shoulders were tensed up as if she were expecting a blow._

_     "I guess there wasn't any way any of you could have been anything but perfect," Logan finally stated._

_     "I don't know what you mean."_

_     "You know exactly what I mean," Logan replied. "You weren't created to be stupid."  He laughed bitterly at the look of surprise on her face.  "Yeah, I finally figured it out.  It was one big joke, wasn't it?  All of you, laughing at Captain MacArren, who couldn't see his own work, right in front of his face."  Logan turned away from her and leaned against the lab table.  "A huge joke."_

_     "A joke?" Crystal repeated.  "Do you really think that all of this was done just to play a joke on you?"  She snorted contemptuously.  "I knew your ego was big, but not this big."_

_     "My work was intended to help others.  Not to create…." Logan stopped himself abruptly, realizing the impact of what he was about to say._

_     "Not to create monsters?  Isn't that what you were going to say, Captain?"  Her voice broke, as if she were trying to keep her emotions at bay._

_     "You aren't a monster," Logan said softly, his anger melting away at the hurt in her eyes.  "You're perfect."_

_     Crystal laughed cynically.   "Far from it.  Ryan was proof of that."  She looked back at Logan.  "Your pet monsters are dying, Captain, one by one.  Maybe the next batch won't be as flawed, and your life's work will have been accomplished."  Crystal shrugged her shoulders, turned, and walked off the stage, leaving Logan staring after her._

_     "But, you are my life's work," he said into the silence.  "You're my life."  As Logan lowered his head, the set slowly faded into darkness, heralding the end of the first act._

*******

     The auditorium erupted into applause as the curtains closed.  In her seat, Max sat back with a quiet sigh, a smile playing at her lips.

     "It looked like Crystal lost it there for a while," Alan stated as he stretched his arms.

     Leslie nodded in agreement.  "She wasn't looking too well at the end there, either."

     "D'you think she'll be able to finish the play?" Max asked.

     "Hope so," Alan replied.  He looked over at Max and grinned.  "I don't think Cale would be able to handle ad-libbing any more scenes."

     Max chuckled as she remembered the look on Logan's face as Crystal raced off the stage.  "He did look a bit panicked there for a minute, didn't he?"

     "He certainly did.  I don't know where he pulled that stuff about siblings out from, but it worked."

     Max shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly, feigning ignorance.  "Who knows."  She looked around, noticing that some of other audience members were headed for the lobby.  "Should we go get something to drink?"

     "Either that, or go backstage to see how things are going," Leslie suggested.

     "I like that idea better."

     "Well, let's go then," Alan said.  "We can get something to drink back there."

     Nodding in agreement, Max led the way out of the aisle and towards the backstage doors.  Slipping inside, they followed the short passage that led to the backstage corridor.

     A wave of sound hit them as they entered the backstage area; a wave that nearly rivaled the gentle roar of the audience.  Making her way to Logan's dressing room, Max was almost immediately separated from Alan and Leslie as they took off in search of refreshments.  Finally reaching her destination, Max knocked softly on the door.

     At a grunted "Come in", Max opened the door and peeked her head inside.  There she saw Davis sitting in the chair she had vacated only an hour ago.  Logan was collapsed in the other chair, his glasses on the table in front of him and his head hanging back as he massaged his temples.

     "Knock knock."

     Logan started to grin even before he opened his eyes.  As he turned to look at her, the intense blueness of his eyes made her breath catch in her throat.  His gaze was almost physical, flowing over her body with a heat that made her skin tingle.  Max slipped inside the room and shut the door behind her, her eyes never leaving Logan's face.  Less than a week ago, she would have broken the stare, embarrassed at meeting, and matching, the heat of Logan's gaze.  But somehow, what seemed so frightening less than a week ago now felt more natural than breathing.  Right now, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into his lap and kiss him until she was breathless.  She wanted to feel his hands on her body, taste his skin on her lips.  And from the way Logan was looking at her, it seemed that his thoughts were along the same vein.

     Logan slowly rose from his chair, still gazing intently at Max, sending the underlying sexual tension to a new height.  Without a word, he approached her, desire darkening his eyes to a deep, midnight blue.  Max hadn't moved from her position next to the door, but her eyes followed his every step as he moved towards her.  A little, nagging voice tried to get his attention, tried to remind him of something, but he pushed it away.  All that mattered was the woman who stood in front of him, her eyes dark with a hungry passion.  He stopped, mere inches from her body, and raised one hand to cup her cheek.  He traced a sinuous line over her lips with his thumb before moving his hand to the back of her neck.  She smiled under his caress, a smile that he answered with one of his own.  He caught her gaze one last time, then bent his head forward, anticipating the first touch of her lips upon his own.

     A loud crashing noise behind Logan made them both jump and look around.  There, on the floor, was Davis, sprawled out across the chair that had obviously just fallen over.  The nagging voice that Logan had banished earlier suddenly resurfaced, calmly reminding him that they weren't alone in the room.  Max obviously had the same revelation, her expression wavering between mortification at being watched by Davis and amusement at him tipping over backwards in the chair.  Amusement seemed to win the war, as her lips twitched with a barely contained smile.

     "Uh, sorry 'bout that." Davis' voice came from the floor.

     Logan slipped one arm around Max's shoulders, hugging her briefly to his body, before releasing her to go help his friend.  Holding one hand out, he helped Davis climb back to his feet.  "You could have said something," Logan admonished as Davis brushed himself off.

     Davis shook his head and grinned.  "And interrupt such an incredible scene?  Besides," His grin now took in Max as well.  "You knew I was in the room."

     This time, embarrassment won out, and Max blushed deeply at Davis' knowing smile.  He chuckled as he straightened the overturned chair.

     A knock sounded at the closed door.  Max turned and opened it to find Debbie standing there.  The woman looked harried and frustrated, her eyes immediately locking in on Davis.

     "Rich, we need you next door," she said without preamble.

     Davis sighed.  "Again?" he asked.  At Debbie's nod, he ran one hand through his short hair in an aggravated gesture.  "Damn it all," he muttered.  He checked his watch and sighed again.  "Ten minutes until we start again.  Damn.  Okay, I'm coming."

     As Davis and Debbie left, Max turned to look at Logan, the question evident in her face.

     "Crystal," Logan replied to her unspoken question.  "The minute she was off stage in act one, she came back here and got sick.  Apparently, she's getting sick again."

     "At least she's getting it out of her system."

     "Yeah, I guess."

     Max looked up at Logan and smiled softly.  "I should probably be getting back to my seat, now."

     "Yeah."

     Slowly, the couple walked to the dressing room door.  As Max opened it, she turned to look at Logan.  "I'll see you after the show, 'k?"

     Logan nodded.  "K," he said with an answering smile.

     Max reached up and placed one hand along Logan's smooth cheek.  With another small smile, she turned and slipped through the door, closing it softly behind her.

*******

Act II

     Logan sighed deeply as he readied himself for the opening of the curtains.  He fidgeted with a pencil for a moment in the darkness, then straightened up and leaned back in his chair as the curtain was drawn aside.  A brilliant spotlight lit the lab set, blinding him for a moment.  Blinking rapidly, Logan stared at the fake computer screen in front of him as he sat at the small desk in the medical set.  A grin pulled at his lips as he realized that the screen was criss-crossed with duct tape; until this moment, he hadn't recognized the piece of equipment that he and Davis had broken earlier that afternoon.  Leaning back forward, Logan typed a few commands on the keyboard, then reached out to pick up a sheaf of papers lying next to him.  A sound behind him made him turn his head.

_     Ron nodded a greeting as he walked on to the set.  "You have to be the biggest workaholic I've ever met.  Don't you ever sleep?"_

_     "I'm close, Brandon.  I compared Ryan's DNA, from two months ago and from right after his death."  Logan frowned to himself briefly and took a deep breath, pulling out two films from a manila envelope.  "See here," he continued, pointing to a spot on each film.  "These don't match.  This base pair here seems to have mutated.  It's right in the middle of the gene that codes for ATP synthase.  That doesn't just happen unless-" Logan cut off abruptly and pushed himself to his feet as a third man walked into the room.  Both Ron and Logan immediately came to attention as the man paused to study them.  It was the same, unnamed bald man who had paced impatiently in the commanding officer's office when Logan first arrived._

_     Logan and Ron stood at attention, staring at an imaginary point somewhere in the audience.  The man hesitated for a moment, then slowly strolled farther into the set.  He peered at the duct-taped screen and grunted to himself._

_     "It looks like you're really coming along, Captain."_

_     Still staring over the audience, Logan responded.  "Sir. Yes, Sir."_

_     "Oh, at ease, gentlemen." The stranger absently waved one hand at them.  "I'm not here in any official capacity.  I was just interested to see what you've come up with lately."  He leaned against the lab table and looked at them expectantly._

_     Logan and Ron looked at each other briefly, then turned their attention back to the man._

_     "Ah, well, Sir, we did discover a defect in the ATP synthase protein.  Basically, the ATP molecule isn't releasing its phosphate unit correctly, resulting in an energy build up, thus causing the cell to-" As the man's eyes began to glass over, Logan's explanation slowly trailed off into silence.  He looked over at Ron, who shrugged slightly._

_     "In a nutshell, Sir, the cell is storing up energy instead of using it in an expected fashion.  After a certain point, the cell fries itself and starts a chain reaction in the other cells."_

_     Logan arched one eyebrow at Ron at the overly simplistic explanation, but didn't allow himself any other expression.  The man nodded to himself, although it was still apparent that even Ron's generalized description of their work was still too in depth._

_     "Well, thank you, gentlemen.  I think you've answered my questions quite adequately."  The man nodded to each of them, turned, and exited the stage._

_     Logan followed the man for a couple of feet, then turned back to Ron.  "The cell fries itself?" he asked Ron.  "What kind of explanation is that?"_

_     Ron shrugged.  "It's more or less accurate, in a broad sense."_

_     "In a very broad sense," Logan agreed._

_     "Oh, come on.  You saw how he didn't even understand what I said, let alone what you said."  Ron frowned briefly, as if he was considering something.  "Although, this is the quickest I've ever seen him leave.  Maybe we should throw technical jargon at him initially, then start to pare it down piece by piece."_

_     Logan laughed.  "Who is he, anyway?  I remember seeing him when I first arrived, but this is the first I've seen him since then"_

_     "Actually, he's the second in command for the overall project."_

_     "You are kidding, right?" Logan asked.  Ron shook his head, grinning as Logan rolled his eyes.  "Save me from bureaucrats."_

_     Ron chuckled in agreement.  "Well, I'm off to bed.  See ya tomorrow."  He brushed by Logan on his way across the stage, towards the wings.  At the same time, the now-familiar strawberry-blonde woman stepped on to the stage, carrying a small stack of reports_

_     "Oh, Jessica." Ron turned around and started to walk backwards off the set, forcing her to turn around to face him as he spoke.  "I need two copies of last week's data trace report by tomorrow morning.  Could you do that for me?"_

_     At the sound of her name, Logan looked up.  Since she was facing away from him, he took the opportunity to let his gaze roam over her lovely visage.  Without realizing it, he gravitated towards her._

_     She nodded to Ron's question.  "Will ten hundred hours be ok?"_

_     "That would be great.  Good night."  With a nod to Logan over her shoulder, Ron turned back around and headed off the stage._

_     As she turned back around, she ran right into Logan, dropping some of the reports in surprise.  "Oh!  I'm sorry, Sir," she said as she began to kneel and pick up the papers._

_     Logan froze at the sound of her voice.  Slowly, he reached down and cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.  Instead of the light blue color he was expecting, a pair of rich chocolate brown eyes gazed steadily at him, twinkling with suppressed humor.  Logan opened his mouth, but nothing came out.  Stunned, he tried to assimilate the situation and recover his composure, but the sight of her, looking nothing like her usual self, nearly did him in._

_     Max smiled to herself at Logan's surprise.  Her thoughts flashed quickly through the sequence of events that led to her taking Crystal's place in the play._

     She had just left Logan's dressing room when Davis met her in the hall.  "How's Crystal doing," she had asked.

     "Oh, great," Davis replied sarcastically.  "She passed out on us not two minutes ago."

     "Passed out?  But the play starts again in less than ten minutes.  How's she going to go on?"

     "She isn't.  I'm going to send in a replacement."  He looked at her, his eyes intense.

     "Oh, no.  I already told you that I wouldn't do it."

     "You can't do it if people might recognize you.  I don't intend to let them recognize you."

     Max's eyes narrowed as she regarded him.  "Explain."

     "Follow me."

     Davis let Max into Leslie's sewing room.  The young woman looked up as they entered, then pointed to a chair that sat in front of a large mirror.

     "Sit," she ordered as she began to rummage in a cabinet opposite the mirror.

     Max frowned at both of them.  "What's going on?"  She turned to look at Leslie, then gasped in surprise as the other woman returned with a reddish-blonde wig in her hands.  Max looked back at Davis.  "You can't be serious."

     "Crystal's a strawberry blonde.  We can't suddenly put a dark-haired Jessica on stage, so you'll have to wear a wig."  Davis waved her over to the chair Leslie had pointed to earlier.  "Try it on, at least," he said.  "I think you'll be surprised."

     Dubiously, Max settled into the chair.  Leslie smiled reassuringly at her as she turned the chair away from the mirror.  Max felt her hair pulled into a tight ponytail, twisted and pinned to her head.  She tried not to tense up as Leslie's hands paused briefly, one finger lightly trailing across the barcode on the back of her neck.

     "Original," the older woman said as she slipped the wig on Max's head.

     Max forced herself to chuckle nonchalantly.  "Stupid dare tricks."

     Davis snorted in understanding.  "Know all about those.  Got my tongue pierced on a dare.  Couldn't talk clearly until I finally just took the thing out for good."

     Leslie smiled at Davis' story as she moved around Max, tucking errant strands of hair under the wig.  She then picked up a small jar of light brown powder and lightly dusted Max's eyebrows.  Stepping back from her handiwork, she looked over at Davis.

     Grinning, Davis reached out and spun the chair around so Max could get a look at herself in the mirror.

     Max's eyes widened in surprise at the image that stared back at her.  Gone were her raven locks; replaced by a fall of gentle red-gold curls.  Max looked up at the grinning pair, then back at the figure in the mirror, amazed at the transformation.

     Davis leaned forward and regarded her mirror image.  "So, can we get you fitted for a costume in less then five minutes?"

     The rush of activity to get Max fitted was barely controlled chaos.  After receiving her affirmative answer, Leslie had pulled Max out of the chair and back down the hall towards Crystal's dressing room, leaving Davis behind in her haste.  "You're a little taller than Crystal, but the boots should be high enough to hide the end of the pants," she said as they entered.  She tossed a pair of pants at Max, turned to give her a quick once-over, and groaned.  "God, the shirt's going to be too tight across the bust, and I don't have time to let it out.  Okay, you're going to have to wear just the tee and keep the camo unbuttoned.  It's too un-official looking, but we don't have much of a choice right now."

     As Leslie was speaking, Max was ridding herself of her dress, being careful not to pull the wig off.  She shot a quick glance at Crystal, who was lying on the couch, oblivious to all the activity going on around her.  She slipped on the pants and deftly caught the tee shirt that Leslie had blindly tossed over her shoulder.  As she was tucking the shirt into the pants, a knock sounded at the door.  Before either of them could respond, the door opened and Debbie slipped into the room.

     "Davis wants to know how you're doing, Lez."

     "Here, do these boots fit?" Leslie handed Max a pair of socks and combat boots before turning her attention to Debbie.  "I think we're outfitted."

     "The boots are a little loose, but they fit okay," Max said.

     Both women turned to look at Max and Debbie smiled.  "You look great.  C'mon, we're about to start.  Fantastic job, Lez."  Leslie grinned as Debbie motioned for Max to precede her out of the room.

     As Max and Debbie reached the wings, Max realized that the second act had just started and that Logan was already on stage.  She turned to look at Davis, who motioned her over.

     "I know you know this already, but this is for the sake of my sanity," he whispered.  "There is only one scene that Jessica doesn't have with Michael.  It's in scene seven.  It's when you and the other aides are rounded up for extermination.  You'll be lying in your bunk when the guards come in from stage right.  This is the only scene where you might have to be careful, because we'll have the strobes going.  Since you don't know the fight, all you'll need to do is move to the far left and wait for it to finish.  Just remember to put the bear out."

     "Actually, I know the fight," Max stated.

     Davis' eyebrows shot up in surprise.  "You do?  How- No, nevermind.  I don't need to know how."  Davis shook his head in admiration.  "You continue to amaze me.  Logan's a lucky man."  He continued on, switching back to the original subject before Max could formulate a reply.  "No lines, in that scene.  Just the fight." He looked out at the action on the stage.  "It's almost time for you to go into this scene.  This one is where you'll enter stage right, and start to cross to center as Ron approaches you.  He'll pass in front of you, then turn around.  You turn around to face him, so that your back is to Logan.  After he leaves, you do an about face and run into Logan."  Davis looked at her and smiled.  "I have no doubt as to your ability to carry this off," he said.  "And I wanted to take the time to thank you for helping us out.  Both you and Cale have done more than your share, and it hasn't gone unnoticed."

     Max looked down at her boots, unsure as to how to respond.

     "Nicole, get ready," Debbie whispered fiercely, waving her over to the curtains.

     Max looked up at Davis and grinned.  "Well, the show must go on," she said.  Turning, she joined Debbie at the edge of the curtains and waited until she heard her cue.  Taking a deep breath, Max stepped out on to the stage and into the lights.

_     "Captain, are you all right?" Max asked as she slowly picked up the papers she had dropped._

     "Uh, yeah.  Yeah, I'm fine … Jessica.  Thank you."  Logan was starting to overcome his shock at seeing Max on the stage with him.  He watched her pick up the reports, then squatted down to help her, frowning as she flinched away from him.

_     "Here are the reports you asked for earlier, Sir." Her voice was flat and empty as she handed him the papers._

_     Absently, Logan took the papers from her.  He was still trying to comprehend the fact that Max was on stage with him.  It amazed him that she was willing to re-live the horrors of her childhood, no matter that the play was just a pale echo of her reality.  A strong desire to protect her, to shelter her from the world, surged through his body.  He reached out to touch her face._

_     "Sir, are you all right?"_

_     As her actual words penetrated his brain, Logan drew back his hand, recalling that they were on stage in the middle of a play._

_     "Ma- Ni-  Jessica," Logan finally managed to get out.  "Why are you angry at me?"_

_     Max straightened up and stared at a point over his shoulder.  "Anger is an emotion, Sir.  I was not created to have emotions."_

_     "Phony sentimentality."  Logan smiled as Max shot him a surprised look.  He smiled gently at her.  "Emotions are all part of being human, Jessica."  When she didn't respond, Logan tried a different tract.  "I owe you an apology."_

_     Max's eyebrows shot up in astonishment, then fell back into a frown as she finally met his gaze.  "What for?"_

_     "For taking my anger out on you the other day when I found out about …. all this.  You're more of a pawn in this than I am.  And you're not the one I should be angry at."  He stepped closer to her._

_     Automatically, Max backed up a step, falling back into the safety of her military façade.  "There isn't any reason for you to apologize to me, Sir."_

_     Logan stepped closer again.  "Please, call me Michael."_

_     "I wouldn't presume to call you by your first name, Sir."_

_     "It's a request."_

_     "A request or an order?"_

_     "Just a request."_

_     "Then I'll take your request into consideration." Her gaze flickered to his face, then back over his shoulder.  "Sir."_

     Logan grinned.  The banter in the play was so reminiscent of their usual repartee, it was almost scary.   "How long have you been with Project Phoenix?"

_     Max's brows creased slightly as she considered the question.  "I've always been here."_

_     Logan frowned to himself.  "You can't have been born here," he muttered to himself.  "We didn't really start to understand how to truly manipulate the strands until the turn of the century."  He turned his attention back to her.  "How many were there, originally?"_

_     She didn't need to ask what he meant.  "Fifty," she said, softly._

_     "And only eleven left.  It doesn't make sense!"  Frustrated, he stabbed at the stage with his cane.  "If you've been here all your life, that means that the project has been going on for at least twenty years.  You couldn't have been…" his voice trailed off as he fought to find the word he wanted to use._

_     "Created?" she supplied._

_     "Created," he repeated with a touch of disgust, "using my theories, because I've only been in genetics for just over five years."_

_     "Well, then, I guess your good name won't be associated with the creation of monsters, will it?" Her tone was dangerously low as she gazed fiercely at him.  "Obviously, that's what's most important to you."_

_     "No.  What's important to me is figuring out where everything went wrong," he corrected her.  "What's important to me is figuring out how to fix it."  He moved closer to her, catching her hand before she could step away from him again._

_     She looked up at him in surprise, only to be immediately caught in an intense gaze.  Unseen by the audience, Logan's thumb sensuously stroked the palm of her hand.  Max knew the caress had nothing to do with the play; it was for her and her alone.  Such a simple movement, yet it was turning her legs to jelly.  Her breath came in short, rapid gasps, as she stood there looking up into his eyes._

_     "What's important to me," he continued, as he gazed deeply at her, "is you."_

_     The sexual tension on the stage skyrocketed.  Max licked her lips and smiled slightly as she saw his eyes widen in surprise, before darkening with suppressed passion.  She started to step closer to him when a warning bell went off in her head, reminding her that she was playing a character in a show._

_     With a start, Max suddenly pulled her hand out of his grasp and backed away from him.  "I… I have to go, now."  As he started to protest, Max shook her head.  "Really.  I have to go."  Without another word, she turned and fled the set, leaving Logan staring after her._

_     The lights on the set went out._

     In the audience, Alan leaned over towards Leslie.  "When the hell did Nicole step in for Crystal?"

     "Finally noticed that, did you?" Leslie asked wryly.

     Alan snorted softly.  "You did a great job with the wig.  I'll admit, I didn't know it wasn't Crystal until just now."

     "What tipped you off?"

     "Oh, just the fact that that scene was only intended to bring out moderate sexual tension between the two characters, but instead, it jumped right into the 'hot-n-steamy' category, and all they did was stare at each other."

     Leslie chuckled softly.  "Yeah, Cale and Nicole do manage to get a hell of a lot across with just a look, don't they?"

     A very pointed glare from another audience member made them both chuckle quietly and turn their attention back to the stage.

_     Logan absently flipped on the light as he and Ron entered the small office.  As Logan moved around his desk, Ron peered at the papers he held in his hands.  Shaking his head in wonder, he looked up as Logan opened a drawer in the desk, bringing forth a small vial of liquid.  He sat the papers down on the desk as Logan handed him the bottle.  Holding it up to the light, Ron whistled low under his breath.  "A mutagen inhibitor.  Are you sure it'll work?"_

_     "No, I'm not," Logan replied.  He reached out and picked up the sheaf of papers Ron had just been reading and glanced at them absently.  "But I can only theorize that it was a spontaneous gene-level mutation.  If we can block the mutation, we won't have any more deaths like Ryan's."  He looked at Ron, questioningly, as he set the papers back down neatly on the desk.  "You did say that all the post-mortems were the same, right?"_

_     Ron nodded.  "Yeah.  The ATP synthase gene was all wacked out in the same base pair for all of them."_

_     "Wacked out," Logan repeated, with a slight smile.  "Is that a technical term?"_

_     Ron snapped to attention, and saluted Logan crisply.  "No, Sir.  The correct term is FUBAR, Sir."_

_     Logan chuckled and retrieved the vial from Ron.  He swirled the bottle lazily between his fingers, studying the flow of the dark, green liquid.  "The trouble is, I don't know what kind of reaction the inhibitor would cause, if any.  It could very well block normal processes as well as the mutation, and then where would we be?"  Logan set the bottle in a tray on the desk and rubbed his eyes.  "I can't think anymore tonight.  My brain is FUBAR."_

_     Ron grinned at him.  He opened his mouth to reply when Logan suddenly straightened up and looked around.  Ron frowned.  "Is something the matter?"_

_     Logan paused, then shook his head absently.  "No, I guess not.  I just thought I heard something."  He turned back to face Ron.  "Let's tackle this in the morning."_

_     "My thoughts, exactly."_

_     Without another word, the two men walked out of the room, Logan shutting off the light behind them.  The office was bathed in a subtle glow from the stage lighting, apparently empty, until a lithe figure moved out of a darkened corner._

_     Silently, Max padded towards the desk.  A small flash briefly outlined the desk's contents as Max's penlight shone across it, halting as it reached the vial Logan and Ron had been discussing only moments before.  Placing the end of the penlight in her mouth, Max pulled out a syringe and set it down on the desk.  She was in the process of rolling up her sleeve when the office lights flared on._

_     Spinning on her heel, Max turned to see Logan standing in the doorway.  By his expression, she knew that he realized what she had planned to do.  In two quick strides, he was next to her, his fingers closing over hers as she reached for the vial._

_     "Jess, no.  It's too dangerous."_

_     "It may be our only chance," she replied._

_     "I don't know what the side-affects could be.  It could kill you."_

_     "And one small genetic mutation will kill me."_

     Logan sighed angrily.  "I knew I heard something earlier.  You were eavesdropping.  How much did you hear?"

_     "All of it."  Max sank back on the desk and looked up at Logan.  "I heard you and Dr. Malluck talking a couple of days ago, about how you discovered why Ryan died."  She hugged herself, as if the memory of his death sent a shiver down her spine.  A small smile came to her lips as she continued.  "But then, you went on to try to find a cure.  None of the other doctors would have done that."_

_     Logan ignored her comment about the other doctors.  "Jess, I'm still trying to find a cure.  That vial is only my first attempt.  I don't know if it'll even work.  I need to study this some more before I start to try administering a mutagen inhibitor."_

_     Max rolled up her sleeve and offered him her arm.  "So study.  Please." Her plea cut off his protest.  "Time isn't a luxury we have."  She looked up into his eyes and smiled softly.  "Please?"_

_     Logan hesitated, then closed his eyes and sighed in defeat.  "Promise me that you will instantly come to me if you have any type of reaction, from a hangnail to a headache.  I don't care what time of the day or night it is, or what I'm doing, you will come to me."_

_     "Cross my heart."_

_     Logan tied off her arm and shook his head as he filled the syringe.  Taking her arm in one hand, he looked into her eyes.  "I sincerely hope we're not going to regret this."_

_     Max smiled slightly.  "No regrets, Captain.  No regrets."_

_     The stage went dark.     _

     Alan had to admit to himself that Cale was much more at ease now that Nicole was in the play with him.  The banter between the two characters flowed a great deal more naturally, even with the underlying sexual tension that laced every word spoken between the pair.  There was a comfortable air between them; similar to the impression that some actors gave when the show they were doing paralleled their own lives, to some extent.  Alan shook his head, amused by his own thoughts.  The notion that Cale and Nicole were somehow involved in covert government experiments was absurd.  The only way the show mimicked their own lives was the fact that the two lead characters refused to acknowledge the attraction between them, much the way Cale and Nicole had been earlier in the week.

     As another sigh softly echoed through the audience, Alan chuckled softly to himself.  _Crystal and I are going to be hard pressed to duplicate this level of passion.  I would expect this type of audience reaction from experienced actors, but Cale and Nicole are generating enough heat to melt the polar ice caps, and that's just in the looks they share._  A strangled gasp from behind made him look over his shoulder.  There, a woman surreptitiously dabbed at her eyes as she watched the scene unfold on the stage.  Turning his attention back to the play, Alan realized that the order had been given that Phoenix Project was to be terminated and Michael had just received his transfer orders.

_     Dazed, Logan returned to his office to find that it was already packed up.  Two large, uniformed guards were waiting for him just inside the door.  Slowly, he walked into the room, trailing his fingers across the desk as he looked around._

_     "Sir, your car is waiting," one of the guards said._

_     Logan nodded absently.  "I'm sure it is, Corporal."  He looked around once more, then turned to head out of the room._

_     Before he had moved two feet, Ron burst into the office.  "I'm glad I caught you.  I wanted to make sure to tell you what a pleasure it has been working with you, Doctor," Ron said, breathlessly, as he held out a hand._

_     Logan took the hand and shook it, eyes widening slightly.  "Ah, thank you, ah, Doctor.  It's been a pleasure working with you, too."_

_     Ron eyed Logan's escorts briefly.  "Well, I won't keep you any longer.  Best of luck to you."_

_     "And to you."_

_     With a quick nod, Ron turned on his heel and left the office.  Indicating that the guards should lead the way, Logan looked quickly at the note Ron had handed him before stuffing the paper in his pocket and following the guards out the door._

     The men walked through a brief patch of darkness, emerging on the other side onto the lab set.  Logan walked stoically behind his hulking escorts as they approached the aides, who were facing them, rigidly at attention.  Max was in the last rank on the downstage end.  Their eyes met as he strode towards her, an emotion of which words had never spoken pouring through their shared glance.  As he passed her, he stopped and turned around, raising his hand to touch her.  She turned to look over her shoulder at him, her arm mimicking his own as she reached out.  Their fingers had barely touched when the drill sergeant screamed at her to get back at attention.  Max's head snapped forward, a tear-suppressed "Sir!" escaping her lips as Logan turned back around and rejoined his escorts.

     The rest of the play seemed to go by at warp speed.  A brief scene showed the commanding officer of Project Phoenix sitting at his desk, giving his second in command the order to schedule the termination of the project's aides.  At the man's crisp salute, the lights dimmed on the office set and gently illuminated the bunkhouse.  There, sleeping peacefully, were Jessica and the other aides.

     Suddenly, guards stormed onto the set and the theatre was plunged into darkness.  Three large flashing strobes immediately flared into being, punctuating the action on the stage like a rapid heartbeat.  Shouts and cries from the stage echoed through the auditorium as a fight broke out between the guards and the doomed aides.  The sickening zap of electricity heralded the fall of one aide after another, as the guards, armed with tazers, slowly began to win the melee.  The sound of battle dwindled into silence as the last aide was brought down and the strobes were suddenly stilled.  A single, dim glow slowly blanketed the stage.  There, the only evidence remaining to the fight were overturned cots, bedclothes strewn about and, sitting forlornly in the middle of the set, the stuffed bear that Michael had given Jessica.

_     Logan slammed down the phone in frustration.  "What's going on out there?!"  He shouted to his aide.  "Have you broken into their mainframe yet?"_

_     "No, not yet," came the reply._

_     Logan swept the phone off of the desk in a violent motion and dropped into his seat, head in hands.  "Goddammit!" he shouted into the silence._

_     "I'm in!" Joey burst into the room.  "They've scheduled them all for termination via lethal injection at oh-three hundred hours this morning."_

_     "Can you forge a change of orders?" Logan asked as he struggled out of his seat._

_     The aide shook his head.  "No, Sir.  The orders have alpha-one clearance.  They're shutting down the project completely out there."_

_     Logan slowly sank back down in his chair.  "It's one a.m. now," Logan said.  "That leaves me two hours to try and figure out how to save all of them."  He paused and ran a hand through his short hair.  "Okay, find out what they are using as the lethal, and make me a counter for it, enough for a dozen, no two dozen doses."_

_     "Anything else?" Joey asked._

_     "Yeah, pray to whatever deity you believe in that Brandon is still there and is willing to help us out," Logan replied as he reached for the phone once more._

_     The stage was lit by a single spotlight as Logan cautiously moved into its muted glow.  He advanced slowly, peering into the darkness, as if looking for someone._

_     "Michael?" a voice asked._

_     Logan spun around as Ron walked into the light.  "Don't do that," Logan whispered fiercely._

_     "Sorry," Ron responded.  He looked around.  "Are you alone?"_

_     Logan nodded.  "Yeah, are you?"_

_     Ron nodded as well.  "You know, they'll probably court-martial you for this.  Hell, they'll probably court-martial both of us, right before they shoot us."_

_     "They don't ever need to know that you're involved.  I've already sent everything I know about the project to Jay, that radical friend of yours, and I've made sure that the only names mentioned were our commanding officers.  He should get the package tomorrow, and hopefully, it'll all be over by then.  Now, can you get me back onto the base?"_

_     Ron grimaced.  "Yeah, but I can't help you much once you're in."  He checked his watch.  "It's oh-two ten now.  It'll take twenty-five minutes to get back inside and then another ten to get to the medical center.  At oh-two-fifty-five, Jay is going to initiate another demonstration, which should take up most of the guards' attentions.  Right now, Jennings and I are the only ones left, and we're scheduled to do the terminations." Ron scowled at the thought.  "Jennings doesn't give a damn that we're killing eleven innocent people.  All he cares about is his next grant."_

_     "I'll take care of everything once I get inside."  Logan looked at Ron and stuck out his hand.  "Thanks for helping me, Brandon."_

_     "You're saving the lives of those kids.  That's all that's important."_

_     Logan nodded.  "Let's go."_

     As the spotlight faded out, the medical set was slowly lit up.  Three rows of medical gurneys filled the far side of the stage, separated from the medical set by the single observation window.  Eleven figures lay motionless on the beds and the silence was only broken by the subdued beeping sounds of eleven heart monitors.  Cautiously, Logan slipped into the room opposite from the sleeping aides through the upstage door.  A large clock, mounted above the door, showed the time to be less than ten minutes before three.  Logan started to head for the main console, then cursed softly to himself as the sound of footsteps approached.

     Slipping into the small space between two filing cabinets, Logan watched as two doctors walked into the room, unaware of the danger they were in.  Slowly, Logan drew the gun that was tucked into the waist of his pants and crept out of his hiding place.  Raising the gun high, he brought it down on Ron's head.  Not hard enough to kill him, but hard enough to knock him out.  As Ron slumped forward, the other doctor turned around irritably.  His eyes widened as he saw Ron's motionless figure on the floor and a gun pointed at his face.  Without warning, the doctor sprang for a large button on the console, hitting it before he, too, was knocked into unconsciousness and fell to the ground.

_     "Damn!  Where's the shut-off!" Logan swore as he searched the console.  Frantically, he ran his fingers down the row of buttons.  "There!" he nearly shouted as he punched a button and ran through the door that led into the next room.  Once through, he started disconnecting I.V. tubing.  Groggily, the young men and women started to wake as Logan worked down the line.  Two of them stumbled forward and started to help him when one, the young girl playing Dee, gasped in shock._

_     "The drip didn't stop for them!" she whispered fiercely.  "They've gotten a partial dose!"_

_     Logan darted to her side and looked at the monitor, then at the three bodies lying motionless on their beds.  "Get me three heart syringes, stat!" he nearly shouted as he reached into his pocket for the antidote his aide had created.  The girl rushed off and started feverishly searching the cabinets for the necessary equipment.  With a soft shout of triumph, she returned to Logan's side, syringes in hand._

_     "God, please let this work," Logan muttered as he filled up one syringe and plunged it directly into the chest of the first of the three.  "Baer, monitor him, and let me know if his blood pressure starts to drop," Logan instructed a tall young man, one of the first to wake up.  "Dee, you help me."_

_     He went to the second, calling out instructions to the others of what signs to look for that would indicate that the anti-toxin wasn't working.  When he reached the third and last person, he gasped.  "Jessica!  Oh, God.  Jessica!"  Frantically, he filled a new syringe and leaned over her as he pushed the needle into her heart._

_     "It's working!" Baer called over to him as he helped the first one of the three sit up._

_     Logan shared a relieved grin with the girl playing Dee as he reached out to hug her.  As Max sat up and let Logan help her off of the gurney, he looked over at the others._

_     "C'mon, we're getting out of here for good," he said grimly._

     Off in the wings, Davis smiled as he watched the drama on stage and listened to the audience's reaction.  The scattered applause as Max sat up was followed by gasps of anxiety as it became obvious that the escape hadn't gone unnoticed.  Just as Logan and the others had reached the 'fence' that delineated the perimeter of the base, a klaxon sounded the alert.  Quickly, they slipped under the fence and scattered; the three that had received the near fatal doses helped by those that had not.  Logan slung his arm around Max's waist and half-carried her towards center stage as the rest of the set went dark.  A single spotlight illuminated the couple as they stepped over onto a revolving section of the floor that allowed Logan to stumble along in place, as if he were running from the search parties.

     Peripherally, Davis was aware that the set behind the pair was being changed in the darkness, but his eyes were riveted to the sight in front of him.  Finally, they stepped off of the moving floor and the stage was highlighted in a dim glow.  Slowly, the pair entered the abandoned building and settled down into a far corner.  Seconds later, four guards with flashlights and guns and one guard with a leashed dog entered on the opposite end of the stage.

_     Logan glanced up as voices shouted right outside of their hiding place._

_     "Michael!" Max looked up at him as her shoulders started to visibly shake._

_     Logan looked down at her and paled.  "Oh, God, Jess, don't go into arrest.  Not now!" he pleaded with her.  Helplessly, he held her tightly to his chest.  "God, Jess, hold on!"_

_     In response, Max reached up to gently stroke his cheek.  She started to speak, but was cut off as a violent shudder racked her body.  Her eyes opened wide and her back arched, as if she were in pain.  With a final gasp, she slumped back into his arms, her head lolling to one side.  Logan reached out and traced the line of her face with a single finger, shaking his head in denial.  Seemingly, of its own violation, his hand stroked her brow, sliding up into her red-gold hair.  He inhaled sharply for a moment, wondering if he had dislodged the wig, but it was secure enough to withstand his manhandling.  Logan pulled her close once more, rocking her back and forth slowly, as his shoulders shook with his quiet sobbing._

_     On the other side of the building, one of the soldiers opened the door and quickly stepped back as a foul odor flooded over him._

_     "Damn.  No one could hide in there," he said as he covered his nose with his free hand._

_     "Search it, anyway," the officer in charge instructed._

_     "Yes, Sir," the guard responded._

_     Slowly, he and the other flashligted guard crept in, shining their lights all over the interior of the building.  The moved around methodically and carefully, coming closer and closer to the small alcove that Logan and Max hid in.  One of the guards passed his light directly over Logan's head, but didn't set up a shout that they had been found._

_     Finally, the first guard nudged the second.  "C'mon.  They aren't here.  And if I have to stay much longer, I may lose my dinner because of this stench."_

_     The second guard nodded and together, they left the building._

     The dead silence in the entire auditorium was broken only by a prodigious amount of sniffing and muffled nose-blowing, as Michael gently laid Jessica back on the cold, hard ground.  Alan glanced around, noting that a good portion of the audience around him had tears freely flowing down their cheeks.  Even Leslie, where she sat beside him, had tears in her eyes as she watched Michael say his last goodbyes to Jessica.  To the other side of him, a gentle gasp and strangled 'Oh, no'  made him look back up towards the stage.

     There, Michael had picked up the gun and pointed it at his own head.  He reached out to stroke Jessica's face gently, then bent over to kiss his love the first and last time.

_     Logan leaned forward, his lips barely an inch away from Max's when her chest heaved with a loud gasp.  Logan dropped the gun he had been holding and grabbed her shoulders, helping her sit up as she fought for air.  He was crying and laughing all at the same time as he hugged her close to him._

_     "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered into her hair._

_     "Remember when you told me to report any adverse reactions to the mutagen inhibitor?  Well, I think I just had one."_

_     Logan stroked her face gently.  "The mutagen inhibitor probably had a side-affect of intensifying the affects of the lethal they gave you, so your body had to shut down while the anti-toxin neutralized it."_

_     "The only part of your work that they did get right," she responded, "was to give us the ability to handle a lot of shit and keep on going."_

_     Logan smiled in response and hugged her even tighter._

_     "Michael, why … why did you come back?"  She asked in a small voice._

_     He smiled at her.  "Don't you know?"_

_     "I'm not sure."_

_     He stroked the side of her face gently.  "I love you.  Plain and simple.  I think I fell in love with you the moment I met you.  The perfect soldier, trained to be a ruthless killer, but with a loyal, true, and loving heart.  So perfect."_

_     Logan smiled down at her as her eyes widened in surprise at his words.  "I was afraid you could never be interested in someone like me.  I was afraid I would hold you back, maybe even get you killed.  I'm terrified that I still will, especially now, but I can't keep going without letting you know how I feel.  I've been so intent on helping faceless people that I've never met, that I wasn't able to see what was staring me right in the face.  You are more important to me than any genetic theory or lost cause or cable hack.  I love you.  I really do."_

_     Max laughed shakily and wiped a tear from one eye as she regarded the man in front of her.  "I love you, too," she said at last, sounding a little surprised at herself.  "I'm … I'm afraid, though.  Afraid that the fact that I was bred to be a cold-hearted soldier will overpower my desire to be human.  Afraid that I'm not really capable of being able to handle emotions like this."_

_     Logan shook his head.  "But it's exactly those fears that makes you human.  Everyone is afraid of falling in love at some point.  But I think we'll be able to tackle it together.  I love you.  You are the other half of my soul, now and forever."_

     From the wings, Debbie frantically flipped through the script while Davis watched the scene unfold on stage.  "I can't find that dialogue.  Is that anywhere in the script?" she asked.

     "Not a single damn word of it," Davis responded with a smile.

_     Slowly, Logan pulled Max into his arms.  He looked down into her tear-stained face and smiled.  "I love you, Max," he whispered so quietly that the stage mics didn't pick up his words._

_     "I love you, Logan," she replied, just as quietly._

_     His lips hovered above hers, barely touching them, as he gazed into her eyes.  He could feel her breath on his mouth as he slowly began to tease her lips with his tongue.  She shivered slightly as her skin tingled from his light touch.  Every point of her body that was in contact with Logan burned with a desperate longing.  She was on fire with need for him, and his gentle teasing was driving her mad.  She groaned softly and leaned into him, one hand snaking around his neck to draw him down to her._

_     The first touch of their lips was electric, setting off a passion that would not be denied.  Pulling Max tightly in to his body, Logan devoured her mouth with his own.  Nothing mattered except that their pent up desire had finally found its release.  The kiss was everything he had ever imagined it would be and, at the same time, completely unimaginable.  His blood raged through his body as he kissed her; his fingers tangling in her hair as he gathered her even closer.  Slowly, he began to lower her to the ground, his lips still locked on hers, as he deepened the kiss once more.  Around them, the world seemed to dim.  Neither one noticed.  _

     Alan shook his head.  "I knew he was going to forget how to do a stage kiss," he said to no one in particular.  Leslie smirked at him and leaned into his shoulder, a happy smile on her face.

     A loud burst of applause and cheers shocked Max and Logan out of the kiss.  Logan looked up just in time to see the curtain close on a darkened stage.

     "Ohmygod, we weren't just making out in front of three hundred people, were we?" Max asked, mortified.

     Logan looked down at her and started to laugh.  "Yeah, I think we were," he replied.  "C'mon, let's get off this stage so we can take our curtain call and then put all this behind us," he said as he helped her to her feet.

     Max pulled his head down for another deep kiss.  "Well," she said when she finally released him.  "We're not going to put all of it behind us."

     "Oh, no," he agreed.  "I can definitely see a sequel in the very near future."

     With a wicked grin, he took her hand and together they exited, stage right.

~*~*~*~*~*~


End file.
